Potluck Lunch: OBJECTS + RITUALS meets a SAFE SPACE… with SAN Greater Manchester

When you walk into a room, you get a feeling. Sometimes it’s the décor, sometimes it’s the light or darkness, sometimes it’s the objects within it; the furniture and it’s arrangement, sometimes it’s the sound we make as our footsteps pass through the doorway, sometimes it’s the sound of a ticking clock, the harsh invasiveness of a TV or radio, sometimes it’s sounds coming from outside – gentle birdsong, exhausts ripping up the peace, sometimes it’s the eyes of the people whose gazes you meet.

Sometimes you just can’t put your finger on it.

In our own homes, we try to create a space which is comfortable and feels safe for us. We add objects to it—some are practical like a kettle to make a cuppa; others are sentimental like your Grandad’s war medals or your kid’s first nursery drawing which you still have stuck on your fridge.

During the pandemic, when we were all locked down – how did you create a feeling of safety within your home? What do you need now to feel safe and comfortable? Did you develop a new routine or ritual with an object which helped you get through all the fear and uncertainty? Or was it something you always did before which became even more important during this time?

Now we’re returning to a kind of ‘normal’ do you feel like it’s time to share it with others before letting it go?

In this workshop, SAN Greater Manchester Co-Leads Nathan Frost and Emma Long will briefly touch on the concept of ‘Material Citizenship’ in particular the importance of object-person relations developed by Dr Kellyn Lee, chartered psychologist and research fellow in ageing and dementia at the University of Southampton.

Participants will be invited to creatively contribute to a series of ‘mini’ rooms to collectively create a safe shared space using various art and everyday materials. They are also invited to bring along a significant object to share the story behind it and the role it plays in their daily ritual.

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