Working under the banner of the LitFest, Festival Director Jaye Nolan was awarded Small Experiment Funding by Ideas Test, to run a project entitled Watts The Story? with the residents of the Richard Watts Almshouses in Rochester.

It was an experiment to see how reflective the residents were about their lives and how creative and innovative they could be in telling their stories.

Working with artist Sheilagh Dyson and photographer Nikki Price, Jaye used a variety of methods, including film, audio, text and craft to create a Memory Box for the residents to house everything produced.

Many people have a collection of photos and keepsakes; for some it’s the only tie left with their family and friends from years ago. However, some people have only what’s in their head: Jaye aimed to bring their favourite memories together for them in one place.

 The project took place in October 2015 and you can see and hear the results on the dedicated Watts the Story? blog here.

With grateful thanks to Hobbycraft Maidstone for their support.