In 1994 Bill Hamblett was selected to be an artist in Residence at Herbert Thompson primary school, Ely. His brief was to work three days a week for twelve weeks with children and pensioners using puppetry to explore intergenerational issues. Difficulties arose around the use of space to work with the children which led to a shift in the direction of the project. Lack of a dedicated space influenced the direction the project took. Bill worked with selected classes in class rooms to create shadow puppets to link with the primary curriculum. The other aspect of the brief, to create a processional puppet for Ely festival, took place in the school hall, using it when it was free of other school activities.

Bill selected three classes to work with and concentrated puppet making on one discipline, Shadow Puppetry. The subjects were chosen from the curriculum subjects that those classes were following: The Water Cycle, The Environment and Castles. Each class produced a shadow puppet show and all of the participants designed and made a shadow puppet. They were involved in constructing the stories, rehearsing and performing to the rest of the school. Over 90 pupils from year six took part. They all met with a small group of pensioners to dicuss the work and these older people were involved in performances as narrators. This interaction with children took place mostly in school time.

The work was slow but rewarding and difficulties fitting in the work of the project with the many other school activities meant that the processional giant had to be worked on by Bill with help from the children as and when they could find the time.

This processional piece ended up as a bicycle giant with two bikes welded together ridden by a florescent giant figure with a big bass drum and cymbals in its hands. Peddled by two young people and assisted by others with operating rods of thick bamboo on the hands it rhythmically processed down the street to the delight of the crowds.

Intergenerational work was introduced into the project with the three shadow puppet plays. Les and Doreen Bowring, Sid Sellars and Shelagh Eckett were instrumental in encouraging the children to achieve good levels of behaviour and performance. The children responded with enthusiasm to the prospect of a performance to the whole school.

The three shows devised with the pupils and narrated by Sid, Les, Doreen, and Shelagh toured five other primary schools and day centres for older people. The excitement, interest and initial discussion generated at these events was an encouragement to seek funds to extend this project and transfer it's focus to secondary schools.