Introduction
We aim to strengthen the intergenerational bonds between young people and adults in Greater Lafayette through shared conversations focused on the collective memory of their communities.
Participants at the inaugural workshop.
Abstract
This project is intended to connect Purdue University with the community of Tippecanoe County through photographic memories and a co-creation process. We understand the power of images and specifically of photos that are part of our personal history. Collective conversation about these pictures can allow us to think about the past, the present, and to imagine possible futures by sharing and talking about the differences and similarities that enrich our culture and communities.
Process
We propose a workshop with a 3-step process of reflection-experimentation-creation with small groups of community members in Tippecanoe County. We will begin by inviting a reflective discussion of historical photographs from the region, asking participants for an “inventory” of places, events, news and people relationship with the images. This inventory is intended to activate conversation. Second, we will facilitate experimentation with images as a method to open up new perspectives. Third, workshop participants will be prompted to create new or alternative images that challenge, reproduce or give new meaning to the existing visual memory of the community and/or groups within the larger community.
A take-out note from West Lafayette restaurant Basil Thai, a place that holds significance for many Purdue students and alums. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant began the tradition of including a hand-drawn note with each take out order.