Services 
Sheltered housing residents will take to the stage next week as part of a musical and technology initiative entitled Connected: From Gaslight to Satellite. All part of the fantastic tenantspin’s programme at FACT.Connected: From Gaslight to Satellite is themed around how the participants feel about technology and learning how to use technology for their own benefit along the way.
The residents, who are all over 55, have been exploring what technology means to them, how it's impacted on their lives and how it's changed over the years in a series of workshops. They are working together with Artist Alison Kershaw and Musical Director Jonathan Raisin to write and rehearse a series of original songs based on their experiences.
The aim of the project is to help develop the participants’ digital skills, well-being and confidence through an exciting new medium.
Musical Director Jonathan Raisin uses his experience as a songwriter and composer to incorporate the technology themes and stories that the participants initiate. Jonathan has worked in Liverpool for nearly 25 years as a musician and project coordinator. He has performed in many of the city's theatres (and most of the bars), composing music for a number of shows, and running workshops with half the world. Jonathan is co-director of Lost Voices and, for the Capital of Culture in 2008 produced The Rightful Owners of the Song with local singers and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
He said: “The call out to take part in the project went out to residents in LMH Sheltered Housing Schemes, with an age range of 50+. We particularly aimed to engage the existing LMH Positive People’s Platform group, consisting of representatives from each of the schemes, in order for them to act as advocates for the project. Around 20 different people attended in all, and as the project has evolved the following regular participants formed the final group:”
The Electric Blanket is a programme of activity that has been running since 2009. Developing the work tenantspin has been pioneering for the last 12 years, working with older people and technology, in this case LMH’s Sheltered Housing Residents. The programme has developed over the last three years and is pushing back the boundaries of what can be achieved by innovative support programmes for tenants in sheltered housing schemes.
tenantspin Producer Edwin Pink: “I am really pleased with how the Electric Blanket Programme has developed. The Connected: Gaslight to Satellite Musical has all of the elements we strive to have in our tenantspin projects, it is a genuine collaboration between everyone involved.
“It is great we can be connected 24/7 to family and friends, and work, but there will always be new technology and at some point I may not want to, or be able to, keep up with it all. The group all have different levels of technology in their lives, texting, skyping, emailing, whatever suits them and keeps them connected. However what they all have in abundance is a lust for life and an energy to express themselves.”
Date: Tuesday 3 July
Time: 7pm
At FACT Liverpool
Price £2.
Find out information and get involved –
http://www.fact.co.uk/projects/the-all-singing-all-dancing internet/
http://www.positivepeoplesplatform.co.uk/
See you there.
Singing Glowing Pumpkins, T-Shirts Printing and Electronic Jewellery the chance for a tour around the Liverpool maker space - Who could ask for more. 
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