Blog

Lockdown Lunch: an unexpected gem emerged from the world in pandemic. The wonders of Zoom have breathed new life into Social Lunch, our beloved event where a dynamic group of people over 55 came to Jacksons Lane once a month to enjoy food, live performance and community.

Lockdown Lunch is our pandemic offspring of Social Lunch, but it has evolved into something quite of its own. Clair Chapwell (founder of Bolder Voices and Spare Tyre Theatre Company) is facilitator of the Lunches and sets a new theme every week, such as ‘Masks’, ‘Hands’ and ‘Summer In The City’, and uses it as a stimulus to create poems, paintings, stories and songs to perform to the group at the next Lockdown Lunch.

The results have been staggering. Talents unlocked, community formed, and the most beautiful creations composed and performed each week. We even have a soap opera with weekly installments, Corona Sisters, that is written and directed by our facilitator Clair and acted entirely by guests.

As one Luncher said, “putting together my poem for Lockdown Lunch meant that for the first time, I didn’t think about COVID for one full day”. Indeed, Lockdown Lunch has become many things: a writing group, a welcome distraction from the current moment, an impetus to stay creatively energised throughout the week, and a place to make and meet with friends.

We can’t wait until we can all meet in person, but until then, this little online oasis of creativity and kindness has been a shining light in all the uncertainty. To find out more and get involved, email [email protected].