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"There has been much laughter and plenty of chatter as friendships develop each week between the generations, forging stronger community connections and better awareness of some of the issues each generation faces," says the community engagement artist at Belfast's DU Dance.
Students from Blessed Trinity College and residents from a day center are taking part in "The Story of Who We Are," an intergenerational dance project that's been going on since September, the Belfast Telegraph reports.
The project, funded by the National Lottery and delivered by the Education Authority in Northern Ireland, is based on research that shows access to quality arts experiences in school can benefit learning, including better reading, writing, and communication skills.
"These young people are not just learning new skills but have benefited from slowing down, listening, and learning from their older counterparts in their own community," says art teacher Gilah McCarroll, who's leading the project at Blessed Trinity.
"The older generation too have been very vocal in their support and appreciation of the young and taken great delight in their company every week."
The next phase of the project, which wraps up in June, will see the students and residents work with a professional photographer to learn about cameras and the art of portraiture.