Project LATA 65, founded by the talented Lara Seixo, is an organization whose goal is to connect older and younger generations through art, to help the elderly happily engage in new forms of contemporary art.
It all begins with workshops, where the students learn about the history of street art and get to create their own stencils. They then find run-down parts of the city to jazz up with colorful tags and stencil art.
“Especially in Covilhã, those ‘locals’ became our companions and spectators of all hours. Every day we witnessed the daily and nightly pilgrimages of the elderly people, who left their homes, not to go to Mass or a usual cards game, but to follow all details of the painting performances. We heard (here and at other locations) a thousand stories about what might be emerging on the walls and it moved us hearing things like ‘my city regained its colors.”
Seeing this brings us so much joy. Our older generations need outlets that feed their brains and heal their hearts. While so many are left isolated, with limited social interaction, organizations like LATA 65 are investing in changing this stigma, while helping so many along the way. Get involved, whether it’s visiting a nursing home or calling your Grandma.
Photos courtesy of Project LATA 65.