This project is a submission for a module on my illustration degree and it was born from my closeness with my grandmother and the daily conversations I have with her about being lonely, particularly during the pandemic. Whilst the pandemic has hit a lot of people hard and it has taken its toll on mental health, it seems that the elderly are the ones who are suffering most, being almost imprisoned in their homes for fear of catching Covid-19 and being unable to see anyone. Their daily routine of going to the shop, having a coffee with a friend or volunteering their time has been disrupted and cancelled, being detrimental to their physical health as well as their mental health with no way to stay active. With some elderly people having minimal technical skills, keeping in touch with family or friend via the internet can prove tricky or impossible. Some may have lost the people they were closest to because of the virus and have no other family, leaving them completely isolated and forgotten.
Over the last year, I have been inspired by puppet makers such as Anna Mantzaris and Adeena Grubb and decided that I really wanted to create a 3D piece, so decided to buy all of the materials and make everything at home. I wanted to create a story that would make people feel emotional and want to help the cause of ending loneliness in the elderly.
My final outcome is a storyboard and advertising campaign to end loneliness in the elderly. This project is a work in progress with my final aim being a 3-4 stories about different elderly characters with interesting back stories, each with their own message about how you can reach out to the elderly in a COVID safe way. Whether it be sending a card, signing up to a befriending service or cooking a meal for someone in your neighbourhood, it is so easy to change someone's day with the smallest of efforts.
I've also included a different style of posters that I mocked up based on current Age UK campaigns. I will look into getting these printed and put up in my local area.
