The Glamorous Grandmas Takeover!

Here at The Together Project, we believe that some of the most magical moments happen when we share stories across generations. This past June, we put that belief into practice very glamorously!

For a whole week, our Songs & Smiles sessions underwent a high-fashion transformation. We teamed up with the wonderfully talented children’s author Jodie Lancet-Grant to host a nationwide "Glamorous Grandmas" takeover, in celebration of her new book.

From feather boas to pearl necklaces and sweet tiaras, the care home residents showed up to their sessions in outfits that brought a new story to life. Following a shorter music and movement section (a welcome adjustment during the heatwave!), our leaders read The Glamorous Grandmas to their groups across the country.

At its heart, the book is a joyful, irreverent celebration of older generations. It challenges the quiet, cozy, "rocking-chair" stereotypes of older people, depicting grandmothers who are vibrant, colorful, art-loving, and unapologetically themselves.

As Jodie Lancet-Grant beautifully puts it:

"Depictions of cool, colorful older people in kids’ books are rare... My grandma taught me many things: that it’s okay to be different, the importance of family, and never to be afraid of a flamboyant outfit!"

This message perfectly aligns with the core mission of The Together Project. Through our Songs & Smiles programme, we see every single week that our older friends are full of life, humor, wisdom, and personality. Partnering with Jodie allowed us to champion this positive, diverse representation of aging in a way that resonated with both our little ones and our care home residents.

While we love a good sing-along, storytelling projects like The Glamorous Grandmas takeover are an important pillar of what we do. We don't just read books; we use storytelling as an active tool to build empathy and connection, through characters, identities, ideas and shared experiences.

We want to say a massive thank you to Jodie Lancet-Grant for collaborating with us on this project, and to all the incredible care home residents who channeled their inner fashionistas to bring this book to life. We’re looking forward to the next Glamorous Grandmas takeover event in the Autumn that will bring care home residents into a primary school for some more intergenerational storytelling - we look forward to sharing more!

We also want to make sure the fun continues long after storytime is over! The lovely team behind the book has put together a fantastic Glamorous Grandmas activity workbook packed with creative drawing challenges. You can easily click here to view and download the free digital workbook to use on a tablet, printed out or as inspiration for your next home art session.

We are constantly looking for new, innovative ways to bring generations together through the power of words, art, and music. Keep an eye out for our next adventure!