Age Exchange made history 40 years ago, as the first organisation in Europe dedicated to reminiscence and intergenerational arts. The charity was founded in Blackheath in 1983 and the reminiscence centre opened in 1987.

Age Exchange began life as a theatre company exploring inter-generational reminiscence and storytelling. Local and national funding enabled us to develop reminiscence workshops, training and research. By 1987 we launched our Reminiscence Centre in Blackheath, now our Community Cafe, which was opened by former patron Glenda Jackson. Many projects followed both in the UK and across Europe. Thanks to funding partners Age Exchange relocated our successful reminiscence practice into dementia projects, community outreach, youth theatre and expanded our schools programme. By 1995 we upgraded our infamous Bakehouse Theatre space into a renowned reminiscence arts and training centre. Our Creative Dementia projects run in Blackheath and Lambeth and help support people living with dementia and their carers. Read more about our history and the founding of the charity.

View a snapshot of our past projects over the last 40 years and then explore our project archive.

In marking Holocaust Memorial Day Age Exchange reflects on one of its most unique intergenerational projects and theatre productions.

For many years the wonderful Helen Aronson volunteered at Age Exchange. In the early 2000s David Savill was directing the then Age Exchange Youth Theatre which specialised in working with older people in the community to perform their reminiscences. In 2002 Helen told David about her astonishing experience of the Holocaust. For 50 years Helen had kept her experience to herself. Helen agreed to share her story with the Youth Theatre, having refused to give permission for professional actors to perform her family story. Helen felt it was important that her story should only be performed by young people who were the age she was when she went into the ghetto. And so an extraordinary journey began. One which would have a lasting impact on all who took part including Helen herself.

Helen invited the entire youth theatre to her home in Greenwich for afternoon tea. She wanted to eat together before taking out a small box of precious family mementos from her childhood experience of the Holocaust to help her share her story. Our youth theatre members took Helen to their hearts and determined to tell her story to the very best of their ability. For two months Helen and David devised and wrote “Lodz Ghetto” with the entire you theatre taking part every week in the devising process, where memories were dramatised – with Helen helping shape each scene before the play was ready for its first performance. The play and its impact on all who saw it and the young people who performed is one of the most memorable experiences David says he has had in his 25 years at the charity.

The play then became a documentary drama. And Helen began her journey in becoming a hugely important figure in Holocaust Education for which she was awarded the British Empire Medal just recently.

Highlight on our imaginative & creative approach to Dementia Care.

“Good Company” is a groundbreaking model of dementia care, a reimagining of day care. Now in its 14th month and 5th programme Age Exchange has worked with Orchestras Live, Sinfonia Viva, Green Candle Dance, Brentwood Borough Council, The Alzheimer’s Society and Brentwood Theatre to establish, pilot and develop an completely new creative caring model. Couples referred to the programme (where one lives with dementia and one is their family carer) join our creative company, sharing reminiscence through the exploration of themed artefacts and sensory memory triggers and then working to express and create music and dance inspired by their reminiscence.