Our Arts and Older People's programme is rich in examples of the use of creative writing and spoken word techniques, as is creative ageing more generally. I sometimes wonder if they are rather hidden treasures and this blog is intended to make them sparkle more brightly.
There has been a long interest in this approach by artists. Perhaps this is due to the links with oral history and life-story work, as used for example by Age Exchange. Their use of reminiscence arts has been the subject of a very positive scientific evaluation. However there has also been a reaction against this by some and a call for more creative work in the moment without a reliance on memory; the Timeslips technique, for example, from the USA which is increasingly used in the UK, for instance by Equal Arts. A number of poets have invested their talents in working with people living with dementia including John Killick in the UK and Gary Glazner in the USA.
