Zeitgeist: an intergenerational storytelling project

The Zeitgeist project asks what role design students can play in enhancing creative endeavours and wellbeing of residents through an intergenerational co-design programme. Between Spring 2018 and Summer 2019, Zeitgeist brought together undergraduate design students and residents of long-term care homes for a project that challenged them to co-design publications that focused on the life experiences, stories and knowledge of the residents and emphasized an intergenerational exchange between two very different groups of people that could have a tangible, positive impact upon each other. It is often the case that residents in long-term care homes face issues of social isolation and diminishment of personal identity. In care homes opportunities for genuine creative and personal expression tend to be limited due to limited resources and a focus on medical priorities. It’s not unusual for residents to feel like they no longer have anything to contribute to society, that their story has closed and they no longer feel challenged, which can lead to cognitive decline. Design students are predominately young and tend to have limited life experience, with many still living at home and unsure about what direction they want their life to take. Zeitgeist looked to explore the possible benefits of a reciprocal relationship between the two parties by engaging participants in a range of creative activities that would allow for a mutual exchange of information and skills. This project uniquely positions an art and design university as a community partner for developing new approaches to enhance the wellbeing of seniors