The Me, Myself, I project is run by the Workers’ Educational Association and is funded by Derry City Council’s Grant Aid Programme and Atlantic Philanthropies. This year WEA celebrates 100 years of community education and has run several long term projects aimed at older people. “Me, Myself, I” was open to anyone aged 50+ living in the Derry City Council area and was offered in two locations across the city: the Waterside Women’s Centre and the Creggan Neighbourhood Centre. The overall theme of the project is “Self Image in Older Age”.

The first part of the project offered a Digital Photography/IT course establishing technology as an important tool for communication. This was followed by an exploration of self image in older age in creative workshops challenging how the media represents older people and counteracting this with an exploration of a more positive self image as we grow older.

The participants then explored their lives through a series of four special photographic assignments: A Self Portrait, My World, Transitions and My Dreams. This photographic exploration has helped the participants “unwrap” their lives and shows us that even as we grow older we still have something very valid and important to say and present to the world.

Anne (Participant)

“The view from my house of the new bridge is a bit like life itself. I can see the beginning of the bridge but I cannot see the other end but I know it is there. Life is all about a series of bridges, the journeys that you make”.

Patricia (Participant)

“You have to make time for time itself. Time is really important for me as there is so much I want still to do”.

With the current obsession with youth the main theme is a very timely issue and this is further explored with children and young people in art education workshops offering an intergenerational aspect to the project.

The Photographic project was conducted by Emmett McSheffrey, formerly from Derry but now a photographer living in Glasgow.  WEA would like to thank Derry City Council and Atlantic Philanthropies and the staff of  the two centres for all their support and finally to Emmett and all the participants who gave so much of themselves to this very unique and challenging process.