I am a PhD student at the University of Derby, researching Creative Ageing. I am currently conducting a systematic review of participatory arts for promoting wellbeing & quality of life for healthy older adults. In addition to reviewing the evidence base, I am keen to find out the range of creative activities on offer to older people across the country.
From September to October 2014, Filipa Pereira-Stubbs spent 4 weeks in the United States, visiting three hospitals, researching how their Wellness and Arts programmes serve patients, staff, caregivers and the wider hospital community. Complimenting the hospital work, she met dance practitioners who work in the community with elderly populations.
Article written about the Elevate participatory arts programme at Salisbury District Hospital
Following our sell-out event last year, this year we will be moving from examining the case for social prescribing and the benefits it offers to exploring the ways in which it can be embedded and implemented. In collaboration with the College of Medicine and the Social Prescribing Network, we will look at how it can be measured and the impact it is already having on outcomes for patients.
The DIPLOMA IN LEADING DANCE FOR OLDER PEOPLE is a Level 3 OCNLR Course covering 13 accredited units over six weekends (one weekend a month for 6 months). Now booking for its sixth year, this hugely successful course will begin again in October 2018.
The BAAT series of ‘Attachment and the Arts’ conferences aims to explore art therapy through the lens of attachment theory and related research. Being close to others and having trusting relationships is at the heart of being human. The breaking of these affectional bonds can have cruel and catastrophic effects on any of us.
Creativity in Mind is a collaboration with UCL Division of Psychology and Life Sciences exploring the impact of everyday creativity on people experiencing low mood and anxiety. It's free for anyone to take part in.
Ageing and Creativity is seeking to recruit a freelance creative writing practitioner to devise and deliver a series of writing workshops for a small number of older people in sheltered accommodation in Bicester starting in August 2018. Background Ageing and Creativity is a partnership between the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities and Age UK Oxfordshire, who lead and manage the Age of Creativity. The focus of these workshops is to explore how memories and experience can be used to inform creative practice with participants in a shared present, rather than as a resource for reminiscence. The project will enable participants to have fun and explore creative writing, but also challenge attitudes towards ageing and what it means to grow old.
The Baring Foundation is inviting applications from academic institutions to research and produce a public report on the development of the fields of arts by and for older people in the UK over the last decade.
New Museums as spaces for wellbeing free online course by the National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing The National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing have launched a free online course: Museums as spaces for wellbeing. Available from 29 June 2018. Funded by Arts Council England and Wellcome. This course is aimed at providing advice, tools and guidance on the steps to take in order to develop, deliver and evaluate health and wellbeing work within a museum, heritage or cultural organisation.
Ahead of Protein’s performance of The Little Prince, join artists from the company for a fun exploration of the much-loved story using movement, storytelling and props. Come armed with imagination and ideas and together we can care for our own planet, tame a fox and explore what it means to find a friend.
Delve into the Greek mythology of the snake-haired gorgon through Jasmin Vardimon’s epic new theatrical piece Medusa. The workshop will explore the repertory, choreographic themes and creative process behind the work, with focus on the powerful feminine symbol of Medusa, the myth and its various connotations in our contemporary life.
We are looking for artists to creatively capture the work we do with over 60s. This is the second call for this project. The first is aimed at emerging artists and this one is aimed at artists more established in their field.
Our strategy contains five goals that shape all our work with the arts, museums and libraries sector. These are: 1. Excellence is thriving and celebrated in the arts, museums and libraries 2. Everyone has an opportunity to experience and be inspired by the arts, museums and libraries 3. The arts, museums and libraries are resilient and environmentally sustainable 4. The leadership and workforce in the arts,museums and libraries are diverse and appropriately skilled 5. Every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts, museums and libraries
Intergenerational programmes are often seen as 'nice to have' rather than necessary. So in a time of restricted funds, priorities turn to other, more pressing needs. However, social psychological research has been gathering evidence over decades which highlights the key benefits arising from promoting good relationships between seemingly opposing social groups. These social groups can (and do) include 'the old' and 'the young'. The evidence has been disparate, however, and the whole notion of an age group comes with problems. How old do you have to be to be 'old'? At what age does someone stop being 'young'? Answers to these questions are so dependent on context that perhaps the notion of an age group at all becomes difficult. Yet we do make some judgements of each other and ourselves, based on our age. Ageism has a host of negative effects for older and younger people, and for society as a whole.
The National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing has produced a series of webinars exploring health, wellbeing and museums from different perspectives
The free symposium aims to go beyond the current prescriptive models of 'successful ageing' and 'active ageing', contributing to the development of a more nuanced conception of fulfilment, justice, contentment and wellbeing in older age.
Connie's Colander by Gaye Poole. Connie is a retired domestic science teacher. Emily, her daughter, is enjoying hosting her first TV cookery show: Connie’s Colander, bringing her mother’s recipes onscreen and up to date. Sensitively, with humour and tenderness this newly written play traces the evolving relationship throughout their lives, and the impact of Connie’s Alzheimer’s. Can their relationship, and the TV show, survive? Running time 50 mins. Followed by a 20 minute post-show Q&A with a dementia specialist.
In 2019, Arts 4 Dementia is organising a Best Practice Symposium on the theme of Social Prescription for Dementia, to showcase best UK examples of partnerships and social prescription and it needs your help. Does your organisation run arts programmes for people with dementia in the community, with referral through Social Prescription? Or perhaps you run a voluntary creative or cultural befriender scheme, whereby two individuals, one with dementia and an escort who share a passion for the arts, go to arts events together, whether participatory or performance?
I am look for FREE venues in Cambridge to hold focus groups for my PhD research into Creative Ageing. Venues could be an arts organisation, community centre, village hall....somewhere inviting, safe and quiet!
Over the last 2 years, 64 Million Artists has worked with Leicester Ageing Together to explore the impact of everyday creativity and digital tools on the wellbeing of older people. This action research project was funded by Nominet Trust and The Baring Foundation.
The findings of our new report That Age Old Question reveal that ageist views are held across the generations, and that an ageing society is viewed by many as a challenge rather than an opportunity. We are making a number of recommendations aimed at addressing some of the key drivers and negative consequences of societal ageism.
In 2017 & 2018, 64 Million Artists worked with Leicester Ageing Together to explore the impact of everyday creativity and simple digital tools on the wellbeing and social inclusion of older people. This action research project was funded by Nominet Trust and The Baring Foundation.
Creativity and Learning in Later Life examines how processes such as ‘creativity’ and ‘inspiration’ are experienced by writers who engage with the visual arts, and questions how age is perceived in relation to these processes. The author’s careful analysis challenges many of the assumptions on which museum education currently operates, contributing to wider debates surrounding the value of arts and cultural heritage education.
19th June The course is designed for people working at any level in arts, charity and public sector services and provides a practical framework and skill-set to develop effective and genuine interpersonal connections. The training includes numerous workshops on the ABCDEs of the Relational Approach. These are aimed at illustrating and embedding the theoretical material, as well as developing participants' self-awareness and awareness of others. Exercises include skills building in active-listening and understanding body language, as well as exploring how relationship dynamics are formed and developed.
Training session for care staff, activity leaders and arts practitioners. A great big ‘Goodie Bag’, packed full of useful skills and ideas galore… accessible and affordable ways of running art sessions with Older People. Led by Jeanette McCulloch
Repertoire is a key ingredient necessary for the provision of musical interaction. During this session, we will explore the common repertoire of songs that ‘everyone knows’ along with some more interactive songs that allow for the improvised celebration of music-makers. Participants will leave with more confidence to lead sessions and deeper understanding of how to create rapport with the people they support.
Artists, service users, carers and academics will come together to discuss the arts as a medium for leisure, care and learning in dementia. TAnDem researchers will look at how the arts can best be accessed by people with dementia in residential settings and at what approaches to evaluation are most suitable. Guest speakers will discuss the wider context for the arts and dementia in the UK
Keele's Centre for Ageing Research (KCAR) is delighted to host Dr Nuria Casado Gual (University of Lleida) whose internationally-funded research fellowship is enabling her to develop and share her work on late-life creativity in partnership with colleagues at Keele, the New Vic Theatre, and the creative writing community of North Staffordshire.
This research highlights a need for a fundamental re-think of digital inclusion policy and practice for people in later life. There are now more people online in later life than ever before. Over the last several years, the proportion of older people using the internet has risen considerably faster than for the general population.
Silver Sunday has produced a really useful Toolkit for those wanting to plan an event on Sunday 7 October. It's useful for anyone organising an arts event at any time.
Hear, discuss & create! Saturday 21 July Are you an artist? Have you thought about ageing? Come to our workshop to explore, provoke and re-position thinking and understanding about ageing across the life course. The University of Kent and Centre for Policy on Ageing are looking to develop a new perspective on ageing from an artist’s point of view!
Book your place – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-creative-exploration-of-ageing-across-our-lives-tickets-46138721157 “We are inviting artists of all ages, visual and performance artists, photographers, poets, musicians, dancers, writers and film makers to join us to:- explore, create and play with the very notion of ageing; the implications, both in the broadest sense and personal, our perceptions of self in time past, present and future - not so much later life but across the life course .
Throughout 2016-2017, people over 60, explored the relationship between ageing and culture with writer, Sarah Butler, through a series of conversations, debates, investigations and creative writing workshops.
The Patterns and Potters of our city. 'Tuesday's pottery class is like a religion', said a resident to me the other day, 'it's the marker of my week, every day before and after is the countdown to pottery day'.
Our MSc in Creative Arts and Mental Health asks you to reflect critically on the ways in which art and performance can be used to investigate and to engage the public with experiences of mental health and the mental health system.
The Arts in Care Homes programme was a joint funding initiative with the Arts Council England (2013-2016) to explore models of professional arts practice with and for older people in care homes over three years.
The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance is keen to prioritise the perspective of people who have benefited from the health and wellbeing impact of culture. The LENs is a network of people with lived experience of health issues who are passionate about the benefits of the arts and cultural engagement. It is a small group at the moment but we would like it to grow and need your help.
Join Arts 4 Dementia, the National Poetry Library (Southbank Centre) and acclaimed poet Nick Makoha for an 8-week series of poetry workshops for dementia!
In April's Newsletter you'll find information on Opting back in to our Enewsletter thanks to GDPR, our Website upload, Event, Blog and Social Media posts and Event of the month.
Through Age UK's wellbeing research, it has attempted to find out what makes later life worth living. Its new report explores the striking impact of creative and cultural activities.
Every year for 3 years Ballroom dancer Rashmi Becker has performed for 1,000 invited guests over the age of 65 at the glittering tea dance hosted by the Mayor of Westminster at the renowned Grosvenor Park Lane. After establishing inclusive dance company Step Change Studios, Rashmi saw an opportunity to showcase a ‘Strictly’ older people dance troupe at the tea dance, and celebrate diversity in dance.
The Churchill Fellowship has opened for applications from today. A Churchill Fellowship funds people to travel for 4-8 weeks abroad, researching a topic of their own choice that can make a difference to their profession or community when they come home.
I am seeking help please with some work I am doing to look at the role and impact of creative arts and cultural participation in reducing loneliness. Please would you help me with any research references, contact details of anyone working in this specific area, pointers, suggestions, ideas, by contacting me at paullewiscann@gmail.com . I’d be enormously grateful.
If you are aged 50+ years with any level of dance experience this opportunity is for you.
cARTrefu is an exciting arts project run by Age Cymru. Since 2015 we’ve been matching Welsh care homes with some of Wales’ most creative artists to give older people access to quality arts activities.
Around 450,000 older people live in care homes in the UK. Older people in care are likely to be particularly disadvantaged in terms of access to arts and cultural activities, but participation in the arts can have a huge impact on wellbeing at what can be a difficult time of life. We gave Age Cymru a grant in 2015 for cARTrefu, a programme of artists’ residencies in care homes in Wales, jointly funded with the Arts Council of Wales. The first phase delivered nearly 2,000 hours of multi-form arts provision to over 1,500 residents in 122 care homes. A second phase is now underway.
Still Stomping provides an exciting opportunity to challenge the divisions we create in our society in particular- age. By bringing children, young people and older people together we hope to increase understanding, empathy and celebrate and unite the individual and community no matter what age they are. Liz Moran, Director of Arts and Culture, University of Kent
The 16 successful organisations from across England will deliver projects that bring together and engage older people in music, dance, literature and the visual arts.
In March's Newsletter you'll find information on Opting back in to our Enewsletter thanks to GDPR Our Website upload, Event, Blog and Social Media posts of the month Event of the m
Sonia York-Pryce presents a visual documentation celebrating the mature dancers corporeal difference highlighting their practice rather than their age defines them. 8 dancers 4 from Sydney and 4 from London interpret Sonia's dance motif creating an embodied dialogue of movement.
• £100,000 funding will help to establish England’s festival for creative ageing over 18 months • Celebrating Age fund announces second round of funding from Arts Council England through the National Lottery and the Baring Foundation •Partnership between Voluntary Arts, Age UK and Age UK Oxfordshire to build local networks and expertise to enable creative participation
An apple a day is said to keep the doctor away but could a poem, painting or play have the same effect? Daisy Fancourt is a Wellcome Research Fellow at University College London. In her Essay, recorded with an audience at Sage Gateshead for the Free Thinking Festival, she looks at experiments with results which which prove that going to a museum is known to enhance neuronal structure in the brain and improve its functioning and people who play a musical instrument have a lower risk of developing dementia
As Greater Manchester becomes the UK's first age-friendly city region, as recognised by the World Health Organisation, it's good to reflect on what an Age-friendly Community actually means in practice.
LAHF have been working on this project with partners in Liverpool supported by Dementia Connect. This has been to develop a new arts-based tool for people to use when they receive a diagnosis of dementia. As part of this work we have collaborated with the researcher Frances Williams who has looked at arts projects targeting the period immediately after a dementia diagnosis. This under-developed area of arts and health practice has revealed some interesting learning and challenges in delivery and the research identifies opportunities for improving practice
From 18th-21st January 2018, Artichoke staged a second edition of light festival Lumiere London. We aimed to make the festival enjoyable for all ages, and to create an atmosphere that older people, who might not normally engage with such activity, could enjoy. Artichoke was grateful to receive support from The Baring Foundation in this endeavour.
This report contains the initial findings from a study into creative social activity and older adult wellbeing. Key findings highlight the benefits to older women's self-worth and belonging resulting from regular social participatory arts activities.
Normally associated with children – in particular, a future king of England – it may come as a surprise that Montessori education methods can be highly effective for supporting people with dementia.
Frances Williams PhD research explores how devolution is impacting the field of Arts in health. I began this enormous task last year by trying to understand the big picture, looking at how policy frameworks and forms of government diverge in their approach to Arts in Health – not only between the(four)nations but recently devolved(English)city-regions too.
Now in its eleventh year, the Health & Wellbeing Awards is the UK's premier awards scheme for promoting health and wellbeing.
Wellcome’s Public Engagement Fund is reopening on 5 March after being closed briefly. We've changed elements of how we're going to run the scheme and what we're looking for. In particular, we want applicants to be clearer about the change they are going to make in the world.
The UK has undergone and continues to experience a fundamental change in its demographic profile and society needs to adapt to support an ageing population. As the average age steadily rises and life expectancy increases by 5 hours a day, due to improved lifestyles and healthcare, a radical review of approach is required. Open Forum Events invite you to join us at the Ageing Population: Meeting Needs Through Innovation conference where the challenges, opportunities and initiatives, which are associated with an older population, will be discussed and shared.
The annual Future of Ageing conferences have been described by delegates as ‘one of the best conferences I have ever attended’. The conferences assemble experts from the fields of health, housing, finance and business to identify the challenges and opportunities posed by an ageing society.
An exchange with Taiwan on the theme of creative ageing reveals some inspiring projects from one of the world's fastest ageing societies.
Creative Befrienders was developed in response to the recognition by the Westminster Memory Service of a number of former artists who would benefit from tailored, expert support in their dementia. We now run the project across the three boroughs and have an ever-increasing pool of artist volunteers who work with people in their own homes.
The European Reminiscence Network announces a new Training Course and Apprenticeship Scheme in Reminiscence Arts in Dementia Care - in partnership with the University of Greenwich. This training course and apprenticeship scheme will be of interest to arts practitioners, community arts workers, occupational and arts therapists, group workers, reminiscence practitioners, staff from health and social care services who are interested and/or experienced in positive approaches to dementia care.
It has been highlighted as a public health priority to identify ways of supporting well-being in older age to allow people to lead healthy and integrated lifestyles. This study explored whether membership in eight different sorts of community groups was associated with enhanced experienced, evaluative and eudemonic well-being among older adults.
A new study, published in the journal Systematic Reviews, conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool and Newcastle University has identified the most effective initiatives for promoting respect and social inclusion for older people living in the community.
Course from 17 October Applications from 1 June This popular part-time course introduces participants to key factors in working with visual art in a wide variety of therapeutic and health contexts, focusing on broad mental health issues. Students will gain an awareness of the uses and value of Art Therapy along with a general understanding of the theory which underpins it.
West Yorkshire Playhouse presents Three, Friday 9 March, 1.30pm Three brand new short plays showcasing unique stories of life and flights of the imagination by rarely heard voices, co-written by people living with dementia and professional writers. Followed by a symposium for artists and practitioners: Ideas and Innovations: Theatre and Dementia, Friday 9 March, 2.45pm - 5.30pm
Every third minute in the UK someone will begin living with dementia. This season at West Yorkshire Playhouse we’re presenting a brand new festival of theatre, dementia and hope, the first of its kind. Curated by people living with dementia, Every Third Minute features an outstanding programme of theatre, performance, training and workshops exploring new ways of looking at dementia.
This work-based research by Jacqueline Richards makes a timely contribution, bringing together older people’s voices, work-based practice, theory and learning to create new knowledge that can inform future research and practice, whether large or small scale.
Created Out of Mind is a team aiming to explore, challenge and shape perceptions and understanding of dementias through science and the creative arts.
Recognition of the role of artistic and creative practices in enhancing health, wellbeing and quality of life is gaining increasing significance as evident through a number of reports, research and news articles, initiatives and events.
The symptoms of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people with dementia could significantly improve by listening to and playing music, according to a report. The study, which compiled existing evidence as well as talking to experts, found music can help people with dementia recall information and reduce symptoms such as anxiety, agitation and aggression.
Integrating arts and culture into NHS plans will both save and change lives, write Lord Haworth and Rob Webster. “Creative Minds not only saved my life, it gave me a life”. I first heard Debs Taylor, a peer project development worker, tell me this at a conference on social prescribing. In one sentence, she captured why a focus on the arts and health should be a fundamental part of every NHS plan and strategy.
A new report from the Commission on Dementia and Music. With the number of people living with dementia in the UK expected to reach one million by 2025, this is a hugely important issue for society as a whole, and one which the ILC-UK has focused on for over ten years. Whilst dementia and music might seem like a niche topic, the work of the Commission has, for the first time, brought together experts, specialists, and people with dementia to examine the topic holistically. The Commission has outlined the value and benefits of music for people with dementia, whilst also looking at the important next steps which can be taken to ensure that everyone with dementia is able to access music.
Moving Memory Dance Theatre Company, worked with Age Uk Thanet's Intergenerational, Sunshine Saturday group, exploring stories and experiences of the sea. The project culminated in the creation of this movie which celebrates this vibrant community of people. The project was funded by the Big Lottery.
This toolkit is designed to provide you with all the information and resources you need to set up and run an effective intergenerational digital inclusion project. It aims to be helpful to both organisations who are setting out on this path for the first time and those who would like to improve or build on current digital inclusion activities. It can also be used by schools and colleges that would like to offer this project as part of their enrichment activities.
4 - 10 June 2018 Creativity and Wellbeing Week happened for the first time in 2012 and has grown to be a major festival highlighting work going on around arts and health. London Arts in Health Forum works to develop the role of culture in wellbeing and to promote and support arts in health activity across London and nationally.The organisation is free to join and offers events, a regular newsletter, training sessions, advice and support for artists, architects, clinical staff and service users - basically anyone with an interest in arts in health.
Museums & Wellbeing Week The National Alliance for Museums, Health & Wellbeing is coordinating the third National Museums & Wellbeing Week from 12-18 March 2018. This will be an opportunity for museums to showcase their health & wellbeing offer and raise awareness of this valuable area of work.
London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Monday, 29 January 2018 10am - 5pm Arts 4 Dementia warmly invites arts organisations learning managers, facilitators, artists and healthcare professionals to book a place on our upcoming Early Stage Dementia Awareness training at the London Transport Museum.
The Family Arts Campaign’s new Age-Friendly Standards mark an important expansion of the organisation’s remit, developing an essential new strand of work supporting the cultural sector to welcome older generations. What are the Age-Friendly Standards? The Standards are a national self-assessed accreditation for cultural organisations and a recognised and trusted symbol for older audiences and family groups including older people. Organisations that sign-up to the Age-Friendly Standards value all generations and want to provide a welcoming and positive experience for visitors, regardless of their age.
A look back on a year of activities and events for older people in Hull UK City of Culture in 2017. Circus skills workshops in care homes, talent shows for the over 55s and weekly cultural challenges – older people in Hull have certainly played their part in 2017.
American think tank Createquity has collated and reviewed research into the health benefits of the arts. The organisation has come up with a list of areas where they identify the evidence for the impact of the arts on wellbeing is strong.
The seventh annual London Creativity and Wellbeing Week will take place from 4-10 June 2018. LAHF will produced a brochure including all London events in the week (click the image on the right to view the 2017 brochure on Issuu). We are also planning a separate press and media campaign to promote events in the week. Creativity and Wellbeing Week happened for the first time in 2012 and has grown to be a major festival highlighting work going on around arts and health. It is easy to submit events – simply click on the 'Submit an event' button on the right of this page where you can upload details of your events.
Right now there are numerous projects across Scotland that are, in diverse and sometimes groundbreaking ways, supporting older people in engaging with the arts.
Arts on Prescription uses participatory arts programs, alongside traditional health care, to help older people improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
This report explains why the Baring Foundation has been funding arts and older people activity and describes what we have funded for the first eight years of our grant making. We are aware that we are just one piece of the jigsaw in a much broader picture of creative ageing.
This major, new review of museums has called for better collaboration across the sector to maximise museums’ social impact. The review cites the significant impact museums can have on the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.
Elevate has commissioned Hoodwink to create a sequence of events that unfold around a patient, the ward and the hospital. With funding from Arts Council England and Salisbury Independent Hospital Trust, Hoodwink in Hospital is touring Salisbury District Hospital and 4 other hospitals with a one-to-one special experience for patients. As part of the whole learning experience of creating immersive theatre work for hospitals, it is holding 2 seminars to experience a little of the Hoodwink in Hospital magic and learn more about how the Elevate programme has supported patients’ well-being and recovery over the last 5 years.
Luminate have launched new publication Late Opening: Arts and Older People in Scotland, collecting and presenting stories of a diverse range of projects that support older people in engagement in the arts in Scotland.
There are now 11.6 million people aged 65 or over in the UK, of which 1.5 million people are aged 85 or over*. Over a 4 year period beginning in 2010, The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust collaborated with the Baring Foundation to fund 47 Churchill Fellowships in a programme entitled 'Creative Ageing', examining the belief that the arts can play a positive role in older people's lives, including those with dementia. In recent years there have been many exciting developments in this burgeoning field. This report brings together some of the findings from the Churchill Fellows' international, experiential research projects, particularly concentrating on the work around the arts and dementia.
This is a good read for people wanting to know what the Baring Foundation is up to.
To help heritage sites get started on becoming dementia-friendly organisations, this guide contains information about how dementia affects people’s experience of interacting with heritage. It also provides tips, guidance and signposting to help heritage sites become more dementia-friendly.
Have you been impressed by your local venue, a visiting theatre company, or a trip to an art gallery or museum? If so, this is your chance to let them know - simply cast your vote and let that organisation know why you think they are Fantastic for Families. You could win an iPad Mini in the process!
The Certificate: The Practice of Music Making (CPMM), is a unique one-year distance learning programme developed by Trinity Laban, in partnership with the Open University.
The case for local authority involvement in arts and older people.
People affected by dementia often have to give up the things they love due to inaccessible and unsupportive environments. This includes visiting a cinema.
Experiences of Being report into creative arts and dementia The Beth Johnson Foundation and Anchor, England's largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people, has produced a report detailing the positive impacts of six months of drama, music and dance workshops at 17 of Anchor's care homes in Surrey, with over 200 residents.
Artistic and Programmes Director – deadline 1 December 2017 Arts for Health at Milton Keynes Hospital is recruiting a Director to provide strategic leadership for its work.
Created Out of Mind's work on music and dementia featured across a weekend of live performances and discussions produced by BBC Radio 3 in partnership with Wellcome Collection. It's great collection of programmes which you can listen thanks to the wonders of the internet.
LAHF has teamed up with Mersey Care to do some work around the diagnosis of dementia and we have a commission opportunity for an artist to create a new tool which can be used by people who have recently been diagnosed in order for them to assess their strengths and the positive things in their lives.
A regional programme, with a framework to integrate arts into dementia services in Dorset – a feasibility study
An Expert Seminar: Music and Dementia Monday 20th November, 10am-5pm Wellcome Trust London NW1 2BE This FREE event will be of huge interest to anyone involved or interested in working with people with dementia using music. The event represents an unmissable opportunity to engage with and learn from some of the UK's leading academics, researchers and musicians. Speakers include: Dr Ming Hung Hsu, MHA Professor Seb Crutch, UCL Douglas Noble, Live Music Now Dr Clare Garabedian, University of Worcester Julian West, Music for Life Helen Odell-Miller, Anglia Ruskin University Charlotte Cunningham, Turtle Key Arts Please book your place here: http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/h3daHyB6IpwbNXR
Music can’t exist without memory. But, despite the fact that memory loss can be associated with dementia, people living with it are often still able to listen, sing along, perform or move to music. It offers a way to communicate beyond language, and to sustain creativity, as well as giving insights into how memories themselves are formed.
We are a cross-college research development cluster looking into 'creative ageing', based at the University of Derby. We are looking at five areas of interest, which will be developed into a research funding bid. Update: April 2018 We are holding a Creative Ageing Research Consortium Development Meeting on Tuesday 17th April 2018, with external partners attending.
David Cutler highlights some of innovative creative ageing projects happening in the Netherlands following a recent research trip.
Jobbing artists in the UK may be surprised to learn that Germany has a social insurance scheme for artists, paid into by the state and by cultural organisations that hire them, which is intended to provide for sick pay, pensions and so on. Politicians have tried to take a knife to it over the years, but it continues and does reflect a level of regard for the social contribution artists make.
In early 2015 I was awarded a Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and in Autumn 2015 I travelled to North America where I spent 6 weeks looking at the value of creative expression for elders. During my trip, I visited 6 cities and 24 art-based programmes for older adults and/or people with dementia. This report covers where I went and what I saw and the key findings from each of my four areas of research: Storytelling & Poetry, Intergenerational Programmes, Museum & Gallery Programmes & Visual Arts. It also explores the factors I believe organisations who undertake creative work with elders should be aware of and how participation in the arts can positively enhance the lives of older adults.
A Choir in Every Care Home is an ambitious initiative to explore how music and singing can feature regularly in care homes across the country. The website has a Tookit for Care Homes, one for Musicians and a helpful Resource section,
PRESS PLAY: KICKSTART YOUR CAREER IN PARTICIPATORY MUSIC Thinking about the next steps after you complete your music studies? Starting out and looking for some guidance?
For the fourth edition of Festival in My House, Estelle Longmore invited family and fellow residents of Cosgrove Hall Court retirement village in Chorlton to curate their own international Festival. Reflections on Living at Cosgrove Hall Court celebrated the lives, stories and creative interests of the village residents through poetry, song, performance and art.
The Inquiry Report, Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing, presents the findings of two years of UK-based research, evidence-gathering and discussions with patients, health and social care professionals, artists and arts administrators, academics, people in local government, ministers, other policy-makers and parliamentarians from both Houses of Parliament.
The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) is looking for artists from all disciplines—musicians, actors, writers, dancers, filmmakers, visual artists—who are passionate about making a social impact through their art to help people understand and care about brain health. The Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health at GBHI is a multi-professional training program dedicated to improving brain health and reducing the impact of dementia worldwide by developing, supporting, and empowering a new generation of leaders. Artists are the great communicators and connectors of our society. By telling the stories of patients, caregivers, and doctors—or by helping them tell their own stories—artists can inspire change on a personal level and help alter the narrative around aging and dementia. We need artists to be ambassadors of brain health and to help communicate more effectively the realities of dementia and what can be done to prevent it.
Udita Everett runs six well attended therapeutic Sing For Better Health groups per week, across Brighton & Hove. They are for older people – or anybody any age, with a long-term health problem. Many of members live on their own - the singing groups become a lifeline to them, where they form friendships; one of the main aims is to get older people out of isolation.
A dementia friendly production by Spare Tyre.
LMN selects and trains the most talented musicians emerging into the music profession, choosing those that demonstrate the potential to engage participants in a meaningful way. During their 4-6 years on the scheme, we enhance these skills, equipping them to deliver interactive performances and workshops focused on the needs and enjoyment of the participants.
At the heart of our Inquiry lies a question: how can arts organisations better fulfil their civic role? The question is not born from mere curiosity but from ambition; one consistent with the work of the Foundation over decades(see a list of previous UK Branch work at the back of this report). This ambition comes from a belief in the benefit that participation in the arts confers on all of us – validating our stories and creating new ones – and in the potential of the arts in a changing world to bridge diverse communities and renew the bonds between us.
Fun Palaces is a two-pronged approach to community engagement in culture – by which we mean tech, digital, crafts, arts and science. We are both a campaign for everyday creativity in all its forms at the heart of every community and also an annual weekend of action. The Fun Palaces weekend every October sees professional arts, sciences and tech organisations come together with grassroots enthusiasts to share their knowledge, skills and enthusiasm in a hyper-local event created by and for local communities.
Lancaster University Centre for Ageing Research Town and Gown Event 7th September 2017 (9.30am – 4.30pm) Banqueting Room, Lancaster Town Hall With the numbers of people with dementia rising and the costs of care spiraling, dementia remains a challenge that the UK cannot overlook. Tackling dementia is now a priority for the NHS. This includes helping people and their carers live well with dementia after diagnosis. Dementia can have a devastating effect on people’s cognitive abilities and with no ‘cure’ on the immediate horizon, there is a real need to think more innovatively about how we can best support individuals and families currently living with dementia in ways that will actively enhance their sense of self and identity and contribute to an improved quality of life. Interestingly, the creative, imaginative and emotional parts of a person often remain relatively strong.
he seventh annual London Creativity and Wellbeing Week will take place from 4-10 June 2018. LAHF will produced a brochure including all London events in the week (click the image on the right to view the 2017 brochure on Issuu). We are also planning a separate press and media campaign to promote events in the week.
Being close to others and having trusting relationships is at the heart of being human. The breaking of these affectional bonds can have cruel and catastrophic effects on any of us. The BAAT ‘Attachment and the Arts’ conferences have aimed to explore art therapy through the lens of attachment theory. The questions are: ‘What is the value of art in building close, trusting relationships?’; ‘What are the implications for art therapy practice and research?’.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW) was formed in 2014 and aims to improve awareness of the benefits that the arts can bring to health and wellbeing. During 2015–17, the APPGAHW conducted an Inquiry into practice and research in the arts in health and social care, with a view to making recommendations to improve policy and practice. Our partners in this Inquiry have been the National Alliance for Arts, Health and Wellbeing, King’s College London, the Royal Society for Public Health and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity.
I have been invited by Age of Creativity to consider ‘how far have we come in creative ageing?’. It would be easy to offer something uplifting in response to this daunting challenge and leave it at that. There are hundreds of inspiring case studies of work across all art forms, some of which we have supported. It would be fun to write and hopefully enjoyable to read, but also a bit smug and a little lazy. So I have tried to take a step back and look more analytically. I am afraid that this might be less inspirational – and isn’t intended to detract from all that brilliant work – but hopefully is a little more thoughtful.
Thursday 14 September 2017, 2pm – 4.30pm School of Arts (Jarman Building), University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7UG FREE but please book online www.movingmemorydance.com Do you work with older people in a day-care, residential or community setting? Would you be interested in finding out more about how dance and creative movement contributes enormously to the health and well-being of older people? Moving Memory Dance Theatre Company would like to invite you to a special demonstration and workshop on Thursday 14th September at the University of Kent, Canterbury.
Aim This one-day course will introduce participants to the use of Circle Dance in Dementia, and provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver circle dance sessions in their own settings. The course is suitable for practitioners who work with people with dementia in group settings, such as care staff, activity coordinators, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, community dance practitioners, community musicians, exercise instructors, day centre workers and volunteers who are based in settings with people with dementia.
Living the Drama is a not for profit theatre company, based in Oxford. We produce professional theatre, hold playwriting courses for older people, and now funded by Arts Council England, we have created an outreach project taking theatre to eight Residential and Care Homes in Oxfordshire. This joyful experience taught us many lessons, not least is never assume older people especially those with dementia are unable to enjoy live theatre. We all had a ball! The full article gives more detail and we're happy to share our experience with anyone interested in Theatre for Care Homes.
Celebrating Age is a joint Arts Council England/Baring Foundation fund, which supports partnerships between arts and older people’s organisations.
'Daringly Able' is a documentary film about care home life, interspersed with stop frame animations created by staff and residents which celebrate their expertise and interests. The film illustrates how we express ourselves through our skills, and how inherent they are to sense of self. Daringly Able reveals how creative activities have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of care staff, residents and their families. It shows our collective responsibility towards empowering communities in care provision and towards those living with dementia so they are able maintain a sense of identity for as long as possible.
Mary Ann Marmont has lived with dementia for a decade. She astounds Jeremy with a performance of an old Italian song her mother used to sing, demonstrating how music can help those living with dementia to cope with the condition and trigger happy memories. Release date: 24 May 2017
How does engagement in participatory arts promote wellbeing and quality of life for healthy older adults? I am carrying out a review of all available evidence to find out. If you work in an organisation which runs participatory arts activity for older adults, I am interested in receiving your evaluation reports.
Since 1965, The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (WCMT) has been funding UK citizens to investigate inspiring practice in other countries and return with innovative ideas for the benefit of people across the UK.
***INTRODUCTORY OFFER: OUP is giving 20% off through their website using the code ACFLYP8*** Over the past few decades, the use of the arts in health has blossomed. What, for many centuries, was seen as a fringe activity is now being recognised as a field that has enormous potential for impacting positively on both individuals and societies. However, despite this surge in interest and activity, there is still limited support available for people working in the field. Although the number of practical training courses for artists is growing and more universities are establishing research groups, most training activity occurs in either practice or research; there are relatively few opportunities to gain parallel experience in both.
The King’s Fund,Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund have opened the application process for a unique support programme enabling charity leaders to help each other through sharing expertise and developing skills. Following a successful pilot, The King’s Fund, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund have agreed to support the roll-out of the Cascading Leadership programme so that more charities can benefit. The Big Lottery Fund is investing £175,000 of National Lottery funding alongside £75,000 from Comic Relief.
After a number of conferences on the subject of the differences and similarities between the practices of arts in health and arts therapies, "Creative Arts Therapies and Arts in Health: Current Training Provisions and Future Challenges" will explore the differences in training between the two approaches.
Hosted by Nottingham City Council in partnership with the Imagine Programme and supported by The Baring Foundation, the conference will look at innovative approaches to improve the health and wellbeing of older people. Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 September 2017 Tickets: 1 Day £28, 2 days £44
A review of literature on dance and its impact physiologically and psychologically among elderly populations. Topics included general fitness and strength, balance and gait, and general psychological wellbeing such as self-confidence, social inclusion, and cognitive function. Populations assessed ranged from 50 years upwards, and included both healthy and physically and psychologically impaired cohorts. Dance styles covered included social, creative, contemporary and traditional dance.
The aim of the pilot project was to evaluate the benefits to health and wellbeing of dance and arts activities that were stimulating and developed for and with older people in Medway and Gravesend. Both physiological and psychosocial areas of health and wellbeing were assessed via pre-test and post-tests plus interviews.
The ‘Keep Singing, Keepsake Project’ (KKP) worked with older people in residential and community settings via a weekly group singing session. It aimed to strengthen social ties, reduce loneliness, improve emotional wellbeing for participants and promoting intergenerational performance. Following a literature review, focus group, two case studies and 19 interviews, researchers felt they met their aim. KKP helped participants to relax, breathe better and in some cases provides respite from serious illness.
This project develops the research findings from the 2013 pilot of the Dance for Lifelong Wellbeing project undertaken by the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) contributing to and enhancing the research base in relation to dance for older adults.
Age UK’s Wellbeing Index finds that age isn’t a barrier to living well. The Wellbeing in Later Life Index, developed by Age UK and the University of Southampton, analysed data from 15,000 people aged 60 and over to measure the wellbeing of the UK’s older population. It looked at how people were doing in different aspects of their lives under five key areas – social, personal, health, financial and environmental. Overall it showed there is no ‘magic bullet’ for positive wellbeing in later life and that instead, a whole host of factors under each of the key areas play a part in contributing to a person’s overall sense of wellbeing.
The Singing for Well-being toolkit was developed following feedback from clients and care staff from previous singing projects that described the benefits of singing with their elderly clients, especially those with dementia.
Developed from projects in care settings across Cornwall, this toolkit includes ideas, advice and inspiration to begin a dance session in ones own care setting.
Part of a series, this guide offers help and ideas for setting up and running a singing group for people with Parkinson’s.
Part of a series, this guide offers help and ideas for setting up and running a singing group for people suffering with dementia.
The aim of this series is to offer guidance on setting up and running singing groups for people with a range of enduring health issues.
The original idea for the toolkit came out of a workshop with people affected by Parkinson's. It's been written and produced by a group of creative writers affected by Parkinson's in collaboration with Parkinson's UK.
Sagacity! is London's annual festival celebrating older people dancing. Two days of FREE dance activities including 'Back to 87' themed workshops, a dance film screening and a gala performance by some of London's unique older people's dance companies
Express yourself: Your creative writing toolkit includes tips, resources and advice from people with Parkinson's to help develop your skills, explore new styles of writing, understand the publishing industry and market your work. The original idea developed from a workshop with people affected by Parkinson's. The toolkit was produced by a group of creative writers affected by Parkinson's, in collaboration with Parkinson's UK. "Each section will give you hints, tips and links to useful resources that will help you develop your skills, explore new styles of writing, understand the publishing industry and market your work. It's a tool for everyone, whether you're just starting to think about writing or you're ready to publish your first piece of prose or poetry. Dip in and out of the sections, download the worksheets, take your time and get creative!"
This online course will give any dance leader the knowledge they need to successfully integrate and manage health and safety principles.
Simon Casson is a Producer for Duckie, arts company and purveyors of progressive working class entertainment. Here he introduces Duckie’s Posh Clubs: ‘glamorous cabaret and high tea for elegant elders and swanky senior citizens’.
Youth has never necessarily been the pinnacle of an artistic career as the British Museum’s Hokusai – beyond the wave exhibition clearly shows. David Cutler reflects on how galleries, museums and arts organisations are widening opportunities for more of us to carry on participating in the visual arts into later age.
Arts, dance, music and dementia: from Professional Practice to Social Prescription Tuesday 27 June at Sheffield Hallam University 10am until 5pm (registration from 9am onwards)
City Arts is recruiting for two exciting new roles, App Developer & App Designer. The successful candidates will be working on our Armchair Gallery project, which has been developed over the last 3 years as part of a national Arts and Older People’s fund awarded by Arts Council England and The Baring Foundation. Recent funding from Nominet Trust has enabled this project strand to be taken to the next level. In 2017-18, our aim is to develop an interactive App to be used by older people and other communities of interest.
Looking at innovative approaches to improve the Health and Wellbeing of older people. Tuesday 5 & Wednesday 6 September 2017 Organised by Nottingham City Council in partnership with the Imagine Programme and supported by The Baring Foundation
National Museums Liverpool have launched a new, dementia-friendly, House of Memories website. House of Memories is National Museums Liverpool’s award-winning dementia awareness programme which offers training, access to resources, and museum-based activities to enable carers to provide person-centred care for people living with dementia.
Have a listen to some of the company chatting about our work, and the making of Beyond the Marigolds, and then come and see it at The Hawth Theatre on June 4th 7.30pm : http://zurl.co/bJz0A
What role can the arts play in keeping us healthy, for longer? How can creativity protect and enhance wellbeing and quality of life for older people? Boost your understanding of how cultural engagement can generate good health in later life and support healthy ageing by coming along to this informative panel discussion presented by London Arts in Health Forum in partnership with RADA. The panel will feature members of RADA’s Elders Company, their resident theatre company for over 60s; clinical health psychologist, Dr Paul Camic; Co-Director of Salmagundi Films, Bo Chapman; and Artistic Director of Turtle Key Arts, Charlotte Cunningham MBE.
Collective Encounters presents the Wealth is Health tour. Join us in Liverpool, St Helen’s, Coventry or Leeds for a medical cabaret for our times! Using songs, sketches and skits, Collective Encounters’ Third Age Acting Company will take a look at the health inequalities in the UK. A fresh and satirical look at the NHS, suitable for all ages. Head to our website for more information and Tour dates!
ACE Arts and Communities Programme report The report showcases activities delivered through the Arts and Communities programme and considers what can be learnt from the variety of approaches. The report considers the significance of local authorities in the delivery of arts and cultural programmes and includes a series of case studies, tips and guidance to support the development of future programmes working to achieve similar aims.
Dance for Parkinson’s will host an introductory training workshop and advanced training workshop as part of People Dancing's annual Summer School The introductory workshop will be co-facilitated by Danielle Teale, People Dancing, and the Dance for Parkinson's Network UK. The advanced training workshop will be co-facilitated with artists from English National Ballet and open to teachers who've completed the introductory course.
The first NAMIH conference is to be held at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. The conference will be held on Monday July 10th, 11AM - 6PM. The Task and Finish group is working hard on putting together the programme.
As part of an Inquiry into the role of the arts in health and social care, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW) is seeking examples of the arts and culture influencing health and wellbeing outcomes.
This project theme will explore how different people living both with and without dementia respond to different experiences such as seeing art and exhibitions, handling objects or hearing music. We will measure these responses in a variety of ways including through wearable devices (eye trackers, clip-on wristbands) or by observing the way people paint an image.
David Cutler of Baring Foundation reports, 'I have been asking myself this question after participating in the excellent conference at the stunningly beautiful new Royal College of Music and Drama in Cardiff on 6th April. The conference was organised by the Arts Council Wales and Age Cymru with financial support from the Baring Foundation. It culminated with a strong endorsement from Ken Skates, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure. The day showcased arts activity from the length and breadth of the country, but clearly showed that practitioners did not want to rest on their laurels but see how this could be improved.
Baring Foundation trustee, François Matarasso, gave this talk at the Independent Creative Living Conference, Baltic, Gateshead in June 2016 on why creative agency, the ability to act as an artist, is as important in old age as in any other time of life. Three Great Human Episodes
Research Project Bridging Applied Ethnomusicology, Service Learning, Creative Aging, and Experiential Ethnography through Film
The grants are intended to support registered charities working in: • Education • Poverty relief • Recreation • Social welfare • Suppoprt of older people and disadvantaged people Previous grants have been for between £500 and £1000,000. The Hobson Charity Limited does not maintain a website. Groups should write to the Trust for further information on how to apply.
The first two case studies in the Museum Association’s new publication Museums Change Lives are of work with older people, Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery’s Dementia Partnership and Glasgow Museums’ partnership with Contact the Elderly. In the former, Audience Development Manager Jeremy Kimmel puts his finger on something crucial: ‘Museums tap into curiosity, a quality so primal that it’s one of the last things to be affected by dementia’.
Bealtaine is Ireland’s national festival which uniquely celebrates the arts and creativity as we age. The festival is run by Age & Opportunity, the national organisation that promotes active and engaged living as we get older.
The final report from Magic Me’s programme of Artists Residencies in Care Homes, in partnership with care home provider Anchor and performing arts companies including Punchdrunk Enrichment and Upswing.
A report by Glaswegian artist Sharon Goodlet, based on findings from research trips to Australia and the USA. Sharon’s travels were enabled by a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship Award.
We are absolutely over-the-moon to be able to announce that we have been awarded nearly £90,000 funding from these two wonderful funders. The investment is to expand the way our digital kit, Doris, might be used more widely by older people and to explore the further creative possibilities of virtual reality technology.
Dorset’s first arts festival for dementia, Reawakening, will celebrate the county’s heritage, countryside and artistic life – from the Jurassic coast to Thomas Hardy, historic houses and estates, horticulture, ceramics, music, dance, poetry and drama, textiles, basketry and carving in wood and stone. "As imaginative and artistic instincts can remain vibrant for years after onset of dementia, engaging with the arts and enjoying country exercise help preserve identity and sense of purpose in the community for longer.
The sixth annual London Creativity and Wellbeing Week will take place from 12-18 June 2017. LAHF has produced a brochure including all the events in the week. We are also planning a separate press and media campaign to promote events in the week and in Creativity and Wellbeing Plus – for events across the country and internationally. London Creativity and Wellbeing Week happened for the first time in 2012. The 2016 week saw over 150 events with nearly 25,000 participants right across London. The week has now become a crucial feature in the capital's cultural calendar. It is easy to submit events – simply click on the 'Submit an event' button on the right of this page where you can upload details of your events.
Woodville Halls, Gravesend, 7.30pm The Hawth Crawley, June 4th 7.30pm Beyond the Marigolds peels off those iconic rubber gloves and dredges the nooks and crannies of daily life and fantasy. Revisiting times of love, intimacy and sheer boredom seven women reveal the rich emotional hinterland held secret by older women. Combining live and digital forms, the company takes their audience on a fragmented journey of life’s messy acts of meaning – and attempt nothing less than to discover the meaning
I am a PhD student at the University of Derby researching the use of participatory arts for promoting wellbeing and quality of life in older people. I am keen to engage with organisations working with older people to help inform my research.
A one-day workshop delivered by Arts 4 Dementia (A4D), and suitable for arts facilitators, workshop leaders, animateurs, volunteers and postgraduate arts students, as well as organisational staff in areas focused on learning, access, inclusion, development, community outreach, audience development, or visitor programmes.
The 2017 grant rounds are focused on Music and the Arts and the Elderly. Charities with an annual operating income up to a maximum of £1,000,000 and minimum £50,000 will be able to apply for a grant of £1000. Charities with an annual income of over £500,000 will be able to apply for a grant of £5,000. £1,000 grant round: July £5,000 grant round: April/May
Grants of up to £2,000 to not for profit organisations with a turnover of less than £300,000 a year who work to reduce the disadvantage of the most deprived people in the community such as the disabled, those living in poverty, voluntary carers and isolated older people. The Foundation are more likely to make grants to local organisations based near Greggs shops.
“NO to the society that demands we all be alike. NO to the coercion to consume and conform. NO to the poisoned world that drives its people to flee into introspection and solitude. NO to the dislocation, depression and anger this breeds. Art is for empathy. Art is for loving your brothers and your sisters and yourself. Art is for a chance to live”.
The world stands on the threshold of a great demographic transformation. The number of people aged 65 or older is projected to grow from an estimated 524 million in 2010 to nearly 1.5 billion in 2050. From China to South Africa, across urban, rural and conflict affected settings, ever-growing ageing communities face challenges and foster new opportunities for effective care.
Dementia and Imagination
A Practioners Guide
This handbook is not a tool-kit of prescription exercises to deliver visual arts projects, and it’s not an evaluation guide. What it is, is a result of a research project and is intended to be used by artists and other people who plan to deliver arts-based activities with people who are living with dementia. It is a set of useful ideas and recommendations that come from a robust research project setting out some foundations for developing visual arts projects with and for, people affected by dementia. It is designed to be as accessible as possible. In it you will find information about the Dementia & Imagination project; some key ingredients for delivering research-informed visual arts projects; case studies, a set of guiding principles, reflections of people involved in the programme, and some recommendations. If you want to read about the research in detail, or find other sources of support, this handbook will direct you there.
Can art improve life for people with dementia and their carers? If so, how does it do this? And can it help people with dementia stay connected to their communities? Can it help their communities become more dementia friendly? Might there even be financial benefits for the UK? These are questions we hope to find answers to through our Dementia and Imagination research. We are looking at how art can make a difference for people with dementia living at home, being assessed by the NHS and living in care homes - and in three different parts of the UK.
Since 2010, the Baring Foundation has focused on improving older people’s quality of life through opportunities to participate in the arts. The Foundation is small and so its work aims to influence policy and practice through projects, partnerships and publications. It has supported a very wide range of work in the past six years, which is documented on its own website and the Age of Creativity website. My own work on older artists, Winter Fires, was published by the Baring Foundation in 2012, and I subsequently joined them as a trustee, which has given me more insight into the range and quality of participatory art work being done with older people, not only in the UK, but in other European countries, the USA, Japan and elsewhere.
The UK has an ageing population. Many older people in the UK experience multiple disadvantages relating to health, deprivation, isolation and ageism. Such disadvantages are not only debilitating in themselves, but can also act as barriers to participating in those social and creative activities that protect good health and wellbeing.
The role that the arts can play in supporting healthcare delivery and wellbeing has been widely acknowledged and has grown in recent decades in the UK and internationally. This edition of the engage journal explores the contribution that the visual arts can make to the environment of UK hospitals and medical centres and how engagement with the visual arts can impact on the lives of patients, staff and carers. How willing are those in the medical professions to engage with the arts, and what are the barriers to this? How can we work in partnership? What is the key current research into the benefits of arts and health projects, and what future research is needed in order to have an impact on policy?
Cymru ran a pilot action research programme across Wales focusing on galleries, the visual arts and older people. Its broad aims were to: • Increase knowledge and understanding of visual arts in galleries across Wales, for an audience who may have limited experience of art • Engage and enable participants to feel comfortable and confident in visiting galleries • Promote informal Lifelong Learning opportunities • Enhance the wellbeing of the older people participating and help combat social isolation, loneliness and boredom in older people
“What is the quality of life if it is devoid and deprived of culture, arts, libraries, museums and archaeology—the very things that open our minds and give us reasons to learn and live? Yet this is exactly what some local authorities and funders are having to face: difficult choices, creating a concept of basic services that will be supported and others which will not. I do not accept that concept.” Lord Cashman.
Request for case studies – BBC documentary The BBC is producing a documentary that will follow a small group of centenarians to observe their life and show what it’s like to be 100 in the UK. They are keen to find people who can talk about their struggles, reflecting the kind of issues Age UK campaigns for and supports older people with - care, finance, loneliness and general vulnerability. If you have links with centenarians who would be willing to share their experiences, please get in touch with Age UK's Caroline.Minns@ageuk.org.uk by 1 April.
ART, DANCE, MUSIC AND DEMENTIA: FROM PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE TO SOCIAL PRESCRIPTION.
More and more Local Authorities and health funders are shifting from traditional grants to tendering and commissioning. As competition for arts funding increases - and statutory arts funding is cut - your organisation needs to get ‘commissioning ready.’
Live Music Now was founded 40 years ago by Yehudi Menuhin and Ian Stoutzker CBE in 1977. During that time, we have given over 70,000 interactive music sessions throughout the UK, reaching over 2.5 million people. LMN’s specialist musicians have witnessed remarkable scenes as children, older people and hospital patients have been affected by their music. There is a greater need than ever before for LMN’s work. Throughout the country, there are increasing numbers of older people living with dementia or being affected by loneliness - whether they are living independently, in care homes or in hospital. There are also great challenges faced by children with special educational needs and their families. However, there is growing recognition amongst academics and leaders in the care and education sectors that music programmes can provide measurable clinical and social benefits, whilst also providing great joy for those hardest to reach.
The Baring Foundation’s Director, David Cutler, considers the growth in theatre for and by older people.
The Journal of Population Ageing Volume 10 Issue 1 is now available online. The new issue of the Journal of Population Ageing is a collection of articles focused on the Active Ageing Index.
Double Elephant has recently completed a printmaking and painting residency at Franklyn Hospital in Exeter making designs for posters on the theme of food for display in the dining area. The work was made by older people with dementia and poor mental health. We used familiar poems and songs to trigger ideas for the designs such as "food Glorious Food" or "Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey"
The following funders support similar work to Edge Fund (supporting grass roots organisations), although tend to fund more formally set up groups (eg constituted or registered charity) and work that is considered ‘charitable’ (eg many would not support politically motivated/ campaign groups but may support campaigns of registered charities).
We are now open for our first funding round of the year! We will be giving £40,000 to about 30 grass-roots groups, campaigning against the systems that cause injustice. We are accepting applications from the 7th of March until the 17th April. What we fund We support work run by and for communities facing discrimination and injustice. We fund work carried out by individuals and grass-roots groups in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England that find it difficult to get funding elsewhere. We do not fund traditional charity work, instead we we support activity that challenges abuses of power and aims to change society by bringing an end to the systems that cause injustice. While applicants may be working on short term reforms, we are looking for applicants that ultimately aim to end or replace unjust systems with a just alternative.
This is a link to over 60 different charitable organisations that may offering funding to organisations like yours with similar aims and objectives
We invest in art and culture for a lasting return. We're looking for organisations, artists, events, initiatives and others to apply for our funding and help us achieve our mission of great art and culture for everyone. Use our funding finder if you're interested in applying for funding.
From immersive theatre through to a 1940s styled afternoon tea party, arts opportunities for older people received a boost today as we announced funding for 16 arts projects through our Celebrating Age programme.
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday 21 September 2017 Keynote speaker: Geoff Wong (University of Oxford) GP & internationally recognised expert in realist evaluation of complex health and social care interventions. Artist and practitioner-lead workshops from: The Imagine Arts programme,Created Out of Mind at the Wellcome Huband dance practitioner Diane Amans
Led by Arti Prashar, this is an introductory skills development masterclass for professional participatory arts practitioners who are beginning to work with, or would like to work with, people with dementia. The masterclass will explore what you need to consider when engaging people with dementia in creative practice, accessing their world on their terms. You will develop knowledge of working in a person-centred way using non-verbal techniques. Spare Tyre : the GardenTuesday 11 April 11am - 2pm @ HMT Education Studio Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen, AB25 1GL Access via Hmt Stage Door. disabled access via HMT main Foyer Places are limited. to book a free place contact Aberdeen City Council Creative Learning 01224 611161 Free Masterclass
The Centre for Ageing Better is an independent charitable foundation funded by an endowment from the Big Lottery Fund and part of the ‘What Works’ network. We bring about change so that more people today and in the future benefit from their longer lives. We know what makes for a good later life; we know who is at risk of missing out. We’ve identified the changes we want to see and have begun work with and through others to make a significant positive impact.
Age proved no barrier to dance this week as members of the Generation Games took part in a workshop with the Rambert Dance Company.
A fascinating project is harnessing the power of the arts to unlock creativity and communication
16 cultural organisations have been awarded funding by Arts Council England to create work for and with people over 75 years old.
The £1m grant has been awarded to a project at the Centre for Performance Science, a cross-institutional partnership between the Royal College of Music (RCM) and Imperial College London, and will allow the team to explore the impact of the arts and culture from individual, social, and economic perspectives.
The 31st January 2017 saw the Dementia and Imagination team share some of the main highlights of the research programme with 106 delegates in attendance. This action-packed day was filled with research findings, film, exhibitions of work and workshops with artists. Some of the presentations from the day are available from our website:
I have been Ceramics Activities Lead at Nightingale Hammerson’s Clapham home since 2011 but pottery has been running for over 20 years among other creative activity such as painting, textiles, singing and poetry. The home is pioneering in terms of facilities and care provision; there are approximately 180 residents ranging from residential to nursing and living with dementia. In the time I been there I have been developing pottery classes and projects that are both inclusive to all and sensitive to the needs of each individual. To do this, with the support of a fantastic activity team, care staff and volunteers, I structure group classes, on-floor and one-to-one activities that always ensure I can work closely with each residents.
In April last year, Hat Fair Winchester requested pitches responding to the city council’s call for a creative project celebrating the Queen’s 90th Birthday Party. As a company, we love projects that play with theatrical conventions, break down barriers and invite the audience into the performance space but this piece was different. It had to involve older people and have a discussion about their lives at its heart. This was new territory for us.
Speculation about the seemingly magical connection between longevity and classical music abounds. Is it the intelligence associated with this level of creativity? In a study of over 49,000 creative types, Anisimov and Zharinov (2013), write that “persons who listen to classic music have more chance to live longer”. They attribute this to the intriguing and persistent findings surrounding the cognitive capabilities of classic musicians.
Starting the Culture, Kopi and Kueh pilot programme was an almost serendipitous process. Over the past two years, the Peranakan Museum (TPM) has received an increasing number of requests for guided tours from persons with disability, schools for children with special needs, nursing homes and other eldercare facilities. The last group is a reflection of Singapore’s changing population demographics and global trends that is only going to get larger with time.
Have you ever thought about sharing your experiences with your peers? We need to know your highs, lows and tips on helping us to improve wellbeing for older people through the arts.
Blog by David Cutler, Director, The Baring Foundation 22/02/2017 Age UK has brought out its first Index of Wellbeing in Later Life. ‘Wellbeing’ is hard to define but elements include, a pleasurable life, sense of purpose, independence and dignity – in other words the life that we would want for ourselves and therefore the life everyone else deserves too.
This report explains why the Baring Foundation funds arts and older people activity and what it has supported for the first five years of the programme.
This report updates Joe Randall’s ground-breaking paper for the Foundation on digital arts and older people. Based on interviews with artists and ten new case studies it looks at new opportunities such as self-directed activity, personalised care and scaling up of work.
This guide has been produced by a working group chaired by David Cutler, the Director of the Baring Foundation. It has been written by a group of people with practical experience of making arts and cultural venues dementia friendly
This report, by Kate Organ, maps the growing phenomenon of Older People’s Theatre Companies throughout the UK and puts this exciting development in the context of broader developments in older people’s participation in professional and amateur theatre.
This publication, edited by Daniel Baker, from Cubitt largely draws together a series of contributions to a one day conference funded by the Baring Foundation in 2014.
Not So Cut Off is a new publication from the Arts Council Northern Ireland funded by the Baring Foundation. It gathers evidence from case studies funded by our joint Arts and Older People project on the benefits of participation in the arts for isolated older people.
West Yorkshire Playhouse has been leading the way in dementia-friendly performances. We have funded this new in-depth guide based on their unique experience to inspire more venues to take up this opportunity across the UK.
The Baring Foundation has had a three year collaboration with colleagues in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Along with a call to action and essays from experts this publication gives a rich series of case studies from the four countries themed by practice, research, training and policy.
A Men’s Shed is a larger version of the typical man’s shed in the garden – a place where he feels at home and pursues practical interests with a high degree of autonomy. A Men’s Shed offers this to a group of such men where members share the tools and resources they need to work on projects of their own choosing at their own pace and in a safe, friendly and inclusive venue. They are places of skill-sharing and informal learning, of individual pursuits and community projects, of purpose, achievement and social interaction. A place of leisure where men come together to work.
24 November 2017 : Hilton London Metropole We are proud to announce that the National Care Awards will return in 2017 for the 19th consecutive year! Entries open in the spring and culminate with our distinguished, black tie, Awards Presentation Dinner on Friday 24 November 2017 at the outstanding Hilton London Metropole, on the Edgware Road. Entries open in the spring, so now is the time to start planning your nominations!
Fifty fully funded conference bursaries are now available for people living with dementia and family members / carers to attend the Dementia 2020 Conference free of charge at the Royal Society of Medicine on 13 April 2017.
Short film about ACE funded arts project and 2 day event for C&C's older residents. C&C is a Registered Social Landlord based in London. This project, 'My Front Door' took inspiration from the life and history of C&C's founder Mrs Chesterton combined with memories and stories of C&C's residents. The two day event was part of C&C's 90th anniversary celebrations and took place in a sheltered scheme for older people in Maida Vale. The programme included film, creative writing, installations, photography, ceramics as well as choir, dance and drama performances, all created by C&C residents.
12-18 June 2017 This year’s Creativity and Wellbeing Week will be taking place from 12-18 June and we’re looking for organisations, artists, clinicians, commissioners and thinkers to get involved. Our sixth festival will be structured around the life-course, exploring the different ways in which we can benefit from engaging with the arts throughout our lives. Each day will be dedicated to a section of the lifecourse, so we are encouraging organisations to submit events, performances, workshops, talks, launches and exhibitions to synchronise with this.
House of Memories is an award-winning training programme, which supports the carers of people living with dementia. It provides participants with information about dementia and equips them with the practical skills and knowledge to facilitate a positive quality of life experience for people living with dementia. Find out more about the House of Memories programme.
We are inviting carers, family members, friends and community volunteers to the Museum of Liverpool and our museum partners across England to find out more about dementia and the useful resources and activities museums can provide to support you and your loved ones. The free half-day dementia awareness workshop is specially developed for family carers. It will include an introduction to dementia through video stories to help understand the experience of living with dementia and being a carer. There will be an opportunity to try out our innovative My House of Memories app and take part in dementia-friendly museum activities. Dates will be publicised later in 2017.
We believe that museums and older people enrich each other. We aim to develop innovative and collaborative opportunities by bringing people together. As well as museum, galleries and arts professionals, the Network includes those from health and social care, voluntary sector, research professionals and older people themselves.
This report is an evaluation of a pilot programme.
The role that the arts can play in supporting individual mental health and wellbeing has been widely acknowledged, while research in the fields of arts and health has grown in recent decades both in the UK and internationally. Despite a growing acceptance of the benefits of engagement in the arts by clinicians, medical staff, carers and patients, sustained research programmes crossing the interface between arts and health remain a contested field. The two sectors do not necessarily share the same values, language, working methods or evaluation techniques. Nevertheless, the landscape is changing, with health providers across the UK realising the benefits of such interventions, thus embedding arts programmes in their service provision.
A review of many schemes in the UK and elsewhere.
Good mental health is key to achieving our potential, as it contributes to good physical health, relationships, education and work. In the UK, mental health problems affect one in four adults every year and account for 23% of the total burden of disease, yet only 13% of the NHS budget is allocated to their treatment. Considering this, alongside the large economic burden of mental illness (estimated as up to £100 billion annually in England), the clinical and economic need to invest in improving our nation’s mental health is evident.
The University of Winchester were commissioned ti complete a six month research-based review of Elevate, an art based programme that had been running in Salisbury hospital since September 2013. The evaluation was carried out between June and November 2014. The aim was to find out the different aspects of the impact of Elevate on the patients, the hospital staff and the artists.
Welcome to our funding finder. Browse our funding programmes and take a closer look at key information, including key dates and eligibility criteria.
This report outlines the processes and findings of an investigation into the value of cultural practices in engendering social capital and health and wellbeing in three coastal towns undergoing culture-led regeneration.
The centre is now fully active in researching the potential for dance to impact on both wellbeing and specific conditions.
Investigating the benefits of singing for people with dementia.
Together with our working group members, our investigation into singing in care homes has created and amassed a large amount of material. We have distilled our learnings from this material into these 10 Headlines.
Research on benefits of singing for older people. The Sidney De Haan centre has conducted large scale surveys of choral singers and the world’s first randomised control trial for singing and older people alongside other research related to the benefits of singing.
The aim of the project was to captures peoples’ imaginations through a campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of creativity for mental wellbeing.
A report to the Department for Culture Media and Sport
This prospectus produced jointly by the Department of Health and Arts Council England celebrates and promotes the benefits of the arts in improving everyone’s wellbeing, health and healthcare, and its role in supporting those who work in and with the National Health Service. The prospectus shows that the arts can, and do, make a major contribution to key health and wider community issues.
A new report, published by Arts for Health at Manchester Metropolitan University on Thursday 12 February 2015, reveals that engaging with the arts and culture generally has a positive long-term effect on health and wellbeing.
An evaluator demonstrates ‘creativity’ every time they view an evaluation problem from a fresh perspective, or devises an evaluation approach tailored to a particular context. While creativity is very definitely not just the province of artists or the arts, there is a growing interest in the use of evaluation methods that use film and visual arts, poetry and creative writing, music, drama and performing arts. Arts-based methods can be particularly powerful in uncovering hidden perspectives and in empowering participants. They may also be less intrusive than more clinically-based evaluation tools as they can be inspired by and modeled on the intervention itself. They also involve a number of challenges. For example, the results you get from them (pictures, performances or poems for example) are by nature difficult to interpret and you may require technical skills that are not a part of standard evaluation.
The approach you take to an evaluation will depend on what you want to find out. You will choose the approach that suits your project, your stakeholders and the resources and skills available to you. You may feel that you need to evidence your work using the language and methods used by those who are commissioning or funding you. However, it may be that the outcomes you want to demonstrate cannot usefully be addressed in this way. Co-producing an evaluation with commissioners and funders and involving them in identifying aims and suitable outcomes, will help to make sure that you understand each other from the outset.
The approach you take to an evaluation will depend on what you want to find out. You will choose the approach that suits your project, your stakeholders and the resources and skills available to you. You may feel that you need to evidence your work using the language and methods used by those who are commissioning or funding you. However, it may be that the outcomes you want to demonstrate cannot usefully be addressed in this way. Co-producing an evaluation with commissioners and funders and involving them in identifying aims and suitable outcomes, will help to make sure that you understand each other from the outset.
One of the first tasks of every arts and health project is to identify the outcomes and impacts it seeks to achieve. Without some kind of evaluation, we cannot know whether arts and health projects achieve their aims and it is difficult to learn about what went well and what needs to be improved in future practice. However, it is important that arts and health projects do not lose sight of their artistic aims during this process. The process of developing evaluation frameworks and strategies should be led by the core values of each organisation or project. Evaluation also needs to be informed by a theory of change, or the understanding of the physiological, psychological, emotional and social processes by which arts activities and interventions are thought to be linked with outputs and outcomes. Evaluation can seem like a minefield for practitioners and arts organisations, especially those at an early stage of development.
Creative & Credible supports arts and health organisations and practitioners to: engage with evaluation creatively improve your practice make well-informed spending decisions strengthen the evidence base around the benefits and impacts of arts and health projects
Innovators are passionate about and committed to their goals, which compels them to persist physically and mentally. They never quit and continue even when they experience challenges, setbacks, or failures, which is the biggest difference between innovators and non-innovators.
The Wellbeing Index report, from Age UK and the University of Southampton, found that while many factors combine to create wellbeing, keeping engaged in social and cultural activities, being financially secure and taking exercise helps people feel good as they age.
Some of Winchester’s oldest residents have shared their life stories to shape an unusual new theatre performance that explores what it’s like to be an older person in contemporary Britain.
Teabooks from Bookfeast have produced an evaluation of its scheme to Book groups to older people in Oxfordshire
Are you looking to have a go at glass-making? Get along to the latest exhibition? Perhaps you’re searching the local listings for arts activities you can take your toddler to. You choose - there are lots of opportunities open to you. But what happens to that choice as we get older?
New research report into current practice in older people's dance, published by People Dancing and co-commissioned by Aesop, was launched at the House of Lords on 7 November 2016.
Churchill Fellowship Film
Using books to help people cope with mental, physical and emotional problems is gaining traction
f older people were able to enhance all their relationships through storytelling imagine what an enjoyable opportunity it would create.
This report shows many health and care services in England are providing good quality care, despite a challenging environment, but substantial variation remains.
The research could still use an upgrade in many areas. But what we know so far should cheer any arts advocate.
An evening organised by older people for older people.
A two day professional development workshop: Leading Dance with Older People and Dance & Dementia 4th & 5th April 2017 Back by popular demand Green Candle Dance Company is pleased to announce bookings are open for Moving into Maturity 2017, a course for those interested in leading dance for older people and dance for dementia.
Scottish Ballet is spearheading a ground-breaking 18 month pilot Dance for Parkinson’s Scotland programme, delivered in partnership with Dance Base.
Some time ago Aesop identified the need for an evaluation framework for arts for health and wellbeing. A version for researchers was developed and published in the international journal, Arts and Health, in 2014. Thanks to a commission from Public Health England, a version for practitioners is now available.
An estimated 120,000 people now take part in the Bealtaine Festival, making it one of Ireland’s biggest arts festivals. From dance to cinema, painting to theatre, Bealtaine showcases the talents and creativity of both first-time and professional older artists. It is a chance for people to make new and challenging work, a chance to communicate traditions between the generations. It is a chance for the novice to discover a talent until then unseen and a chance for a long-dormant skill to find a new outlet.
Happy feet: how a dance prescription saved my life...
These CPD accredited training courses will be of interest to those who are keen to embed intergenerational approaches within their programme of work.
The Moving Memory Dance Theatre Company developed Digital Doris to overcome the challenges older people face during movement-based workshops held in residential care homes and day care centres. These included physical limitations, like short-term memory loss and mobility problems, plus the venues’ limited space.
Elixir Festival celebrated lifelong creativity and the contribution of older artists. Over four illuminating days, the festival featured a range of performances on Sadler's Wells' main stage and in the Lilian Baylis Studio.
Not too sure how to go about getting the best from your social media, then this guide is for you.
Classes run by arts charity Create improve health and brighten lives but future of programme is threatened by social care spending cuts.
Events are moments for residents to enjoy. Award-winning activities and volunteers coordinator Tamara Juckes shares her advice on making sure they are a success.
Too many urban spaces are daunting to older people. But Lyon and Manchester show that they needn’t be.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt and Strathclyde universities claim that physiological degeneration in the connections between cells in the frontal lobe means that older people are allegedly flummoxed by new-fangled things such as taps that you pull rather than twist.
Dance Theatre of Ireland offers WellDance for Seniors, a new Arts & Health initiative designed to foster creativity and social connection in older people whilst improving mobility and well being through creative dance classes & performances.
Lovely film from Equal Arts
Research shows that arts and culture can help to improve health, wellbeing and quality of life for people ages 65 and above.
At the first session with the patients, none of us, not even the therapists, really knew what we were doing or what was going to happen. I was very nervous. The instruments looked like the ones we had used at school and I was worried that it would be a bit demeaning. But by the end of the session, we’d structured this incredible piece of music and that suddenly made me realise what this could potentially do.
There is an invaluable charitable organisation in the UK called Paintings In Hospitals (PiH). By providing therapy and escapism through the medium of the visual arts they offer an alternative aspect to a patients care as well as solace and entertainment to visitors and the care professionals themselves. Established in London in 1959, Paintings in Hospitals works across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Arts Therapists & practitioners take your clients on a journey through world museums many of which offer virtual and online tours of their collections...
Registration now open “Demography, Ageing and Health” 26-28 September 2017, University of Oxford
As part of the House of Memories programme you can borrow 'memory suitcases' which contain objects, memorabilia and photographs to help engagement with people being caring for.
If you’ve got the Monday blues today, media mythology has it that you’re not alone. Today is ‘officially’ known as the ‘most depressing day of the year’, although sources across the web will all cite slightly different origin stories for what we now know of as ‘Blue Monday’.
Entelechy is seeking up to 5 new Charity Trustee with a range of skills and experiences that meet the organisation’s needs for strong governance and are able to devote the time required to play their role effectively. In addition we expect that one of the new trustees will have the potential to succeed the current Chair within the next twelve months. Trustee roles are unpaid.
Nottingham’s Imagine - arts and older people programme is offering an exciting training session for artists and staff working in the care sector. As part of the Imagine programme we have been exploring the use of iPads to create art with older people in care.
Being 'creative' and 'open' boosts wellbeing in later life Age UK's Wellbeing Index finds that age isn't a barrier to living well. The Wellbeing in Later Life Index, developed by Age UK and the University of Southampton, analysed data from 15,000 people aged 60 and over to measure the wellbeing of the UK's older population. Interestingly however, the Index found that taking part in 'creative activities' such as the arts had the most direct influence in improving a person's wellbeing in later life. The activities that older people took part in included dancing, playing a musical instrument, visiting museums, photography, singing, painting and writing.
In the last few years I have been privileged to work alongside patients experiencing dementia and memory loss at Franklyn Hospital in Exeter and at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Working at Franklyn Hospital with occupational therapist Caroline Clarke, we have found printmaking to be a great way to engage patients in art making. It is very accessible and utilises skills that we all have - such as cutting, sticking, simple design, working with paper, ink and colour. In particular, for men, we have found that the use of a printing press - simple machinery has inspired memory and encouraged participation.
Esmee Ward: Recently I was invited by the British Council and Hong Kong Arts Adminstrators to speak about ambition for arts and ageing at a Cultural Leadership summit in Hong Kong. Alongside my presentation, I led a workshop with arts professionals, exploring how organisations might become more age and dementia friendly and perhaps most exciting of all, I also ran a workshop with a group of local older people in an arts venue in North Point, HK. Garry Robson, Artistic Director of Birds of Paradise Theatre, a hugely respected director and innovator, also spoke at the conference about his experiences and work with disability arts in the UK and globally. The theme was Social Gains through Arts and it explored the ambition and aspiration amongst arts leaders to extend partnerships above and beyond the cultural sector and work collaboratively for wider social impact.
Stories are vitally important to people. Facilitating people’s stories is my job in a variety of settings. Sometimes this is with people exploring themes in later life.
Moving Memory Dance Theatre Company is a well-established company that offers workshop and performance opportunities for older women. Participants (most of whom have never experienced any training in dance or theatre) have the opportunity to try out new dance-theatre based skills and make high quality performance projects alongside professional artists.
Arts 4 Dementia offers challenging arts programmes for people in the early stages of dementia as well as providing a website that lists arts events across the country and training facilitators in early stage dementia awareness. A4D focuses on what people can achieve, often very much more than they imagine as our recent workshop series at St Mary The Boltons church shows.
This is a really helpful guide. It provides links to a huge range of relevant information sources,data and facts about older people. It has an excellent section on how to develop library and information services strategies for older people – which means we don’t have to start at the very beginning. It also includes a useful checklist.
Over the past four years Jacksons Lane has developed a participation and outreach department that has increased our engagement across North London in areas such as Tottenham, Wood Green and part of Barnet. We have achieved lots with young people however a big focus of the work has been with older people. This has been an amazing and positive learning experience for us too.
I often feel I have had several careers in dance: early years as a ballet dancer; then studying and teaching at the London School of Contemporary Dance in its early days; then forming the X6 Collective and plunging into new dance practices like contact improvisation and release technique; then founding Chisenhale Dance Space with another collective and meanwhile working regularly as a solo performer, freelance choreographer and Associate Director (Movement) for the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester; and finally, in 1987, setting up Green Candle Dance Company.
The suggestion of a tea party came initially from a member of clinical staff on one of the elderly care wards, as she had seen how the Elevate programme delivers bespoke creative activity for patients, responding personally to an individual and getting to the heart of the person through the arts.
Cornwall Museums Partnership is a charity which promotes collaborative working to help more people enjoy and explore Cornwall’s rich heritage. In our remote, rural region access to culture is a challenge for many, in particular older people. In 2016 we supported three museums to work collaboratively with artists, each museum using their collections as inspiration. We wanted to create more opportunities for older people to be inspired.
Japan has a long tradition of cultural and artistic appreciation, from tea ceremonies and flower arrangement, to unique forms of theater and dance. For many older people, post-retirement life offers a chance to pursue their creative interests with renewed vigor, sometimes revisiting past hobbies or learning something new.
In early 2015 I was awarded a Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and in Autumn 2015 I travelled to North America where I spent 6 weeks looking at the value of creative expression for elders. During my trip, I visited 6 cities and 24 art-based programmes for older adults and/or people with dementia. This report covers where I went and what I saw and the key findings from each of my four areas of research: Storytelling & Poetry, Intergenerational Programmes, Museum & Gallery Programmes & Visual Arts. It also explores the factors I believe organisations who undertake creative work with elders should be aware of and how participation in the arts can positively enhance the lives of older adults.
Art in Mind started in 2013 when The Lightbox ran a series of pilot sessions, funded by a one off grant.Lightbox took its model from training and research carried out by Arts4Dementia and adapted it for our own particular style and needs. The pilot sessions proved very successful and some of those initial participants still attend regularly. Many remember the sessions, despite other memory problems.
The ‘Appleby Tate’ is an incredible gallery space that has been created to display all of the fantastic artwork created in Art Sessions by the residents. Creative Minds have been delivering Art Sessions to Appleby House for nearly 2 years now, and the residents most of whom have dementia, have created wonderful art, crafts and sculpture over that time.
A personal account of the 2016 Art of Good Health and Wellbeing conference in Sydney by Evan Dawson, Executive Director of Live Music Now
This new guide from the US outlines ways to reconcile the field-specific vocabularies used in the arts and health research; identifies study goals and methods for engaging community members as equal partners in a research project; and highlights the benefits of partnering for arts professionals and researchers.
Museums for Health and Wellbeing second conference The National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing is very pleased to be holding its second conference at the Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds. The programme will feature speakers from the health, social care and museum sectors who will explore the contribution museums can make to health and wellbeing from a range of different perspectives.
Exploring current age-friendly thinking and practice in museums developed through cross-sector collaborations.
Moving Memory Dance Theatre use movement, music, spoken word and digital projection as ways of revealing and presenting peoples’ stories.
A new book by Dovrat Harel.
An estimated 5.4 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Clinical trials and other research are in the works to figure out what causes it and what can potentially limit its effects. Music therapy is considered to be a method of dealing with Alzheimer’s, without truly treating or curing it. And there’s more work being done in the area of art therapy.
This video from Bolton Dementia Support shows how you can do much for people with dementia without it costing a fortune.
The project, devised by artist Jill Impey and funded by Arts Council England, connects 10-20 year olds and those over 65, to explore and share, thoughts and experiences of war and peace. Participants are introduced to a range of creative and expressive processes. They are guided to interpret stimuli from a travelling collection of contemporary artworks, which reference the 1930’s period between world wars. Recordings of their responses form part of a live touring interactive artwork, alongside curated, archive and personal artefacts, an installation of origami butterflies, and a cabinet of resonant curiosities.
The Yapp Charitable Trust makes grants for running costs and salaries to small registered charities in England and Wales to help sustain their existing work.
The large majority of Wolfson Foundation funding is allocated for capital infrastructure, which we define as new build, refurbishment or equipment. Almost all of its open programmes are solely for capital projects. It does, however, also have a number of carefully targeted programmes funding individuals through academic awards (such as Wolfson Research Professorships and Wolfson Merit Awards) as well as scholarship or bursary programmes.
The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation (BSCF) was established in 1960 with the trustees aim to help raise the quality of life, particularly for those who are young, disadvantaged or elderly. Each year grants totaling about £2.5 million are made to a wide range of charities. The BSCF continues to be a family charitable foundation with the majority of trustees being family members, knowledgeable in their fields and dedicated to public service, supported by talented independent trustees.
The Sobell Foundation was established by the late Sir Michael Sobell in 1977 for general charitable purposes and is a grant-making trust with which he was actively involved until shortly before his death in 1993. The deed of charitable trust, under which the Sobell Foundation was formed, is not specific about the objects of the Trust and allows the Trustees absolute discretion to apply funds for general charitable purposes. Grants tend to be made in line with the founder’s interests which are principally causes benefiting children, the sick, elderly, needy and disabled. The Trustees aim to achieve a reasonable spread between Jewish charities (operating principally in the U.K. and Israel) and non-Jewish charities operating in the UK.
The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts is the operating office of 17 different independent grant-making trusts established by members of three generations of the Sainsbury family. It exists to provide economies of scale in the management of the trusts’ activities. It does not make grants; only the individual trusts do so. The trusts’ support for charitable causes over more than 50 years represents one of the leading examples of sustained philanthropy in Britain.
In a society becoming more complex and diverse every day we see the growth of incomprehension, insularity, intolerance and exclusion. The Rayne Foundation helps and encourages inspiring individuals and organisations who can help build bridges within our complex world. It aims to enlarge sympathies through increasing tolerance and understanding, to reduce exclusion and conflict, to bring people together for the good of society, and ultimately to help create a more comprehending and cohesive world.
Inspired by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales’s values of harmony and sustainability, the Charitable Foundation aims to transform lives and build sustainable communities. This is achieved locally through supporting causes such as community projects, nationally through grants to charities such as Plantlife International, The Prince’s Trust, Soil Association and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and globally through the Charitable Foundation’s International Sustainability Unit.
The Foundation aims to be responsive to where need is greatest. It supports a wide range of charitable activity rather than having specific priorities for funding or regional bias. The Trustees support excellence and, rather than predetermining where funds should be given, prefer to respond on a flexible basis to organisations that can show that they are addressing a need and that their work is high quality.
The Hospital Saturday Fund is a registered Charity whose aims are to provide assistance through its charitable funds for: Individuals with a medical condition or disability who would benefit from assistance with the purchase of specialised equipment or from practical forms of treatment Registered health charities such as hospitals, hospices, medical organisations who are in need of grants for medical projects, care, research or support of medical training within the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
Esmee Fairbairn fund across four main sectors – Arts, Children and Young People, Environment and Social Change – as well as through its Food funding strand. Across all its funding it aims to unlock and enable potential, back the unorthodox and unfashionable, build collective networks and catalyse system change.
This Trust supports maintaining active living and independence for older people
The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust funds United Kingdom Registered Charities operating in the UK in the fields of the advancement of the arts, health and medical welfare and environmental protection or improvement.
CHK Charities offer 1) One Off Grants 2) Conditionally Renewable Grants 3) Large Grants over £25
The Trustees of The Concertina Charitable Trust have granted funds to over 300 charitable organisations in England and Wales.
The Prosper programme will be open to 70 organisations across England, funded by Arts Council England and delivered by Creative United, the Arts Marketing Association (AMA) and the Centre for Business in Society (CBiS at Coventry University). A timetable for applications and regional launch events will be announced early this year.
The University of West London is seeking two PhD scholars to focus on multi-sensory approaches to dementia, and clothing and dress in dementia care. deadline 30 January 2017
This book shows that global population ageing is an opportunity to improve the quality of human life rather than a threat to economic competitiveness and stability. It describes the concept of the creative ageing policy as a mix of the silver economy, the creative economy, and the social and solidarity economy for older people.
Economic Foundations for Creative Aging Policy offers public policy ideas to construct positive answers for ageing populations. This
This report advocates the use of arts as a means to achieving excellence in the care home environment.
Arts 4 Dementia (A4D) seeks a part-time project co-ordinator resident in Dorset to support, help develop and deliver our Reawakening arts programme for people with early stage dementia. Reawakening aims to establish a framework to integrate artistic activity into the dementia care pathway and involves setting up inspirational projects at arts venues in Dorset, mapping arts opportunities for dementia around the county, training sessions and creating an arts festival for dementia.
When the musician Hannah Peel began to lose her gran to dementia, she fought back – with song. The results were so overwhelming, they grew into a vast musical exploration.
The conference will showcase inspirational practice, policy and the latest research in culture and arts in health and wellbeing. It will discuss the role of arts and creativity in healing, care and wellbeing across the life course. It will encourage discussion and shared learning, facilitating dialogue between researchers, policy makers and practitioners. Earlybird registration ends 28 February 2017.
Sir Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome siad 'The dementia challenge will not be resolved by the natural sciences alone. It will also require progress in social care.’ What follows in this research and evaluation report, conducted by the Centre for Research into Reading, Information and Linguistic Systems at the University of Liverpool, deals with what cannot be resolved by the natural sciences alone.It concerns an intervention based on the reading-aloud of literature in a series of older people’s care settings, and carried out through the work of The Reader Organisation and its Get Into Reading project. It should be stressed that this is not simply a matter of reading to the people who attend these groups: the aim is to encourage active human involvement at both individual and social levels.
Dementia toolkit for small and medium sized museums.
It has been shown that participating in arts activities is extremely beneficial for older people with dementia, improving such things as communication, memory, enjoyment of life and creative thinking. Read the Baring Report for more details.
Canadian psychologists from McGill niversity have shown that the neurochemical benefits of music can boost the body’s immune system, reduce anxiety, and help regulate mood.
This document provides effective ways to document and evaluate arts projects and programmes that seek to improve health and wellbeing.
Evaluating the impact of dance activities for people in different stages of dementia.
Read the latest report on the impact of a project in Oxfordshire that provides book groups for over-60s as a means of combatting loneliness, lack of stimulation and social isolation.
Booking is now open for the Storytelling for Health conference, which takes place in Swansea on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th June 2017.
A new report into the state of the social care sector has advocated the use of the arts as a means of care homes achieving excellence. The Care Quality Commission report says that “making best use of the arts to find creative and innovative ways to enable people to have a fuller life” is key to care homes delivering the best service for older people.
The Wellcome Trust has unveiled a new programme of funding for engaging the public in conversations about health-related science and research. The new Public Engagement Fund replaces the Trust’s Society, People, Large Arts, Small Arts, Development, Co-production, Capital and International Engagement Awards.
Cultures of Nature and Wellbeing is a new 2-year AHRC funded research project exploring links between literature, health and environmentalism over the last century. It will look at current research into nature and wellbeing and the role of the arts and humanities in developing this relationship.
The Carnegie UK Trust is seeking information on the approach of different cities around the world to wellbeing. The Trust has published guidance for cities looking to develop approaches to improving the wellbeing of their populations and is now seeking examples of good practice.
Researchers have identified a link between everyday creative activity and an “upward spiral” of increased wellbeing and creativity in young adults.
The Government-led Libraries Taskforce has published its ambitions for libraries citing their role in helping people live “healthier and happier lives” as a priority.
The 2017 Advancing Healthcare Awards has introduced a category for innovation in mental health services which aims to recognise the work of music, art and dramatherapists.
A systematic review has shown that music and singing activities can enhance and maintain subjective wellbeing in healthy adults. He research by the What Works Centre for Wellbeing demonstrates a range of positive impacts on wellbeing on different groups of adults.
Arts activities have been cited as a key tool in preventing dementia in guidance prepared for health commissioners. Group cognitively stimulating leisure activities including arts activities are declared as the only social intervention proven to work in helping to reduce the risk of dementia.
The Arts Council are currently involved in a crowd funding pilot, in collaboration with HLF and Nesta. It has invested £125,000 to help support individual artists with a proven track record looking to work in new ways, reach new audiences or develop their artistic practice. The artists create a fundraising project page on the Crowdfunder website, and once they reach 25% of their target (which must come from five unique backers) the funding is topped up by a further 25%. Artists must be looking to raise between £4,000 and £40,000.
For over 20 years there has been a focus and investment by the cultural sector to provide participatory learning activities for children and young people and programmes which target families. But over the same period research supporting the impact of arts on older people has also continued to emerge.
Some of Winchester’s oldest residents have shared their life stories to shape an unusual new theatre performance that explores what it’s like to be an older person in contemporary Britain.
A robust set of research suggests that participatory arts activities are effective mechanisms for increasing the health and quality of life of aging individuals.
This beautiful 30 minute film **Parkinson Dances** is about contemporary dance in the treatment of Parkinson’s. It deals honestly with the emotional impact of diagnosis and the effects of PD.
A new research report into current practice in older people's dance, published by People Dancing and co-commissioned by Aesop, was launched at the House of Lords on 7 November 2016. The report provides a snapshot of current practice in older people’s dance.
The National Museums of Liverpool want House of Memories to become a central dementia awareness training resource for the health and social care sector.
The House of Memories is an innovative training programme that is making a real difference to health and social care staff and the people with dementia they care for.
Arts on Prescription, sometimes know as Arts on Referral, is a type of social prescribing. In social prescribing there is a referral process whereby health or social care practitioners refer people to a service or a source of support.
The report shows the results of a six-month research programme to evaluate the long-term relationship between arts participation and physical/psychological health have been published.
This report highlights key learning from the project, Creativity in Care, which included an artist’s residency, mentoring for activity co-ordinators and several training events.
The Baring Foundation commissioned this review to provide evidence about the benefits of art activities and to support arts organisations to improve their work with older people.
Research from Finland has shown that listening to music in the early stages after a stroke can improve a patient's recovery, speeding recovery of memory and attention skills, and generating a more positive general frame of mind.
Over 200 participants over the age of 60 took part. Half were allocated to one of five singing groups, meeting weekly over a period of twelve weeks. The other half acted as a control group.
‘Shall We Dance?’ is a project, funded by FEAST and managed by Arts for Health Cornwall and The Works Theatre and Dance Agency. It was developed in order to increase the opportunities for older people to access dance with the aim of improving their holistic health and sense of well being.
The project is an evaluation of the ‘ArtLift’ scheme, which seeks to provide arts activity in health care settings as a form of support for people with common problems such as depression and anxiety. The evaluation uses mixed methods including questionnaires and focus groups to identify outcomes and impacts of the scheme on patients and staff.
This 30 minute film **Parkinson Dances** is about contemporary dance in the treatment of Parkinson’s. It deals honestly with the emotional impact of diagnosis and the effects of PD. It shows not only the physical benefits of dance as exercise but also the emotional release which the participants (who include carers) achieve as they movingly express their feelings in movement. It is filmed and edited by a team from the University of Bournemouth.
The UCL Museum Wellbeing Measures Toolkit is a set of scales of measurement used to assess levels of wellbeing arising from participation in museum and gallery activities that has been trialed across the UK.
Research has proved the devastating effects on health and well-being of social isolation and that is worst among older men. The arts have a great ability to tackle loneliness, as well as give meaning and pleasure. This is a guide to how to reach this group.
Early Stage Dementia Awareness Training for Arts Facilitators
This evidence review is part of a series produced by Age UK, in order to provide evidence to underpin decision-making for people involved in commissioning, service development, fundraising and influencing.
If you are interested in Arts on Prescription, increasingly used by the health service, have a read of Arts & Health South West Fact Sheets - it's a great start.
This paper shows what is distinctive about working with older people using creative technology. It outlines some of that digital artists face, identifies challenges and how to explore them.
The film shows the importance of music for older people. It portrays a social worker, Dan Cohen, in his quest to give older people access to their favourite music. The film won the 2014 Sundance Documentary Audience Award.
Care home residents participate in the Armchair Gallery project as part of the Imagine arts and older people's programme,increasing their access to digital arts.Care home residents have been taking part in the Armchair Gallery project as part of the Imagine arts and older people's programme,increasing their access to digital arts.
The Acting Up report documents the value of older people focusing on activities to keep themselves mentally & physically connected and the importance of promoting a positive image of older adults and their value in building healthy and equal communities.
The Art of Commissioning How commissioners can release the potential of the arts and cultural sector
Oxford Concert Party recently completed an intergeneration cross-arts project with the aim to engage in music, poetry and storytelling with two professional musicians and a poet/storyteller, inspired by objects in the Ashmoleum Museum
Men in Museums is a collaborative approach to get more older men out and about and enjoying the company of others, through museum visits.
A postgraduate professional development programme for music educators delivered by Trinity Laban. New Master Of Arts Degree, Plus Our PG Certificate And PG Diploma.
Fergus Early's OBE, Green Candle, report on his innovative dance project with older people.
An European creative music and dance partnership with older people working with a composer and musicians to compose music on the theme of connections.
A wonderful project delivered in county Durham by Mental health charity RTProjects showing the link between creativity and Dementia being used for positive effect. Inspirational.
Arts Council England recently published compelling findings about the positive effects of the arts on the happiness and well-being of older people. Read on for the key findings.
The Baring Foundation and Arts Council of Northern Ireland commissioned research work into how the Arts and Older People Programme projects have tackled isolation and loneliness.
The Cultural Commissioning Programme works with the arts and cultural sector, commissioners and policy makers to strengthen commissioning of arts and culture, to deliver better outcomes for people and communities. See it's new website,
DANCE WELL webinar took place on 25th May 2016. Fergus Early OBE* from Green Candle Dance Company was interviewed by Paul Cann, Chief Executive of Age UK Oxfordshire about the joys and challenges of dancing with older people.
'Anniversary' is a piece of contemporary theatre created by a group of older performers for audiences of all ages.
This small publication shares and celebrates the work of a three year project led by Artlink that brought people with sight and hearing loss together with artists to develop innovative collaborative work that explored how their experiences can inform work which is accessible to all.
Moving Memory Dance Theatre members talk about what the company means to them.
BED, watch what happens when an older person is lefft in a bed in the middle of a busy thoroughfare.
Art-based digital interventions have been shown to be beneficial for the well-being of people with dementia and their caregivers.
This dementia toolkit has been written to help small museums design their own wellbeing programmes, and is based on a project undertaken with that same thought in mind.
Understanding the experience of group singing for couples where one partner has a diagnosis of dementia
Museum activities in dementia care: Using visual analog scales to measure subjective wellbeing.
Evaluation report for reminiscence and visual arts and crafts project in care homes
City Arts has been exploring digital arts with a number of different care homes in Nottingham over the last couple of years.
Our HenPower project cultivates creativity in care settings at a time in life when most people are slowing down, and not stepping into wellies or making masterpieces.
Museum object handling groups in older adult mental health in patient care
The Ryedale Songs & Scones programme provides isolated older with a monthlyinformal performance by Live Music Now followed by a time to socialise over tea and cake.
The benefits of reading are spelled out in these two links.
Linger is an example of verbal description and poetry creatively combined to provide access and new perspectives on a space. to evocatively describe the Portrait Gallerys Great Hall. A documentary sharing Artlinks creative process and responses from visually impaired individuals is available here.
Age Friendly Museums Day 2015 Care Home residents are made welcome at the British Museum.
Creative Future has completed Arts Council England funded research into the barriers marginalised and disabled artists face when accessing mainstream arts opportunities.
Laura Mackenzie reports on her visit to N America where she learnt about the value of creative engagement for older people, visting innovative projects and undertaking training in new techniques.
Photography and storytelling: people with early stage dementia's experiences explored
A unique project where people living with dementia and their carers created an animated film based on their experiences of being part of a weekly walking group
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital patients have been participating in various performing arts activities at the hospital, including Memory Lane and Memory Lane Training Programme
This important document by the Alzheimer's Society was written by a group of practitioners chaired by the Baring Foundation and comes with the endorsement of the Arts Council England. It is written to be relevant for venues big and small and across all art forms.
An indepth study of The Royal Exchange, Elders Company of poeple 60+ developing performance skills and making boundary-pushing theatre while also challenging stereotypes of ageing.
A update on digital arts and creative ageing by Joe Randall using ten exciting new case studies of developing practice. The report shows that digital arts have a very important role to play in self-directed arts, scale, and personalised care.
Arts for Health Cornwall and Isles of Scilly have released a training resource that supports staff and carers in organising and leading music sessions for elderly clients.
This review contextualises the role participatory arts play for people living with dementia and provides an overview of some of the art forms that are most widely used, from storytelling to signing to museums.
Arts and Minds ran at the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery providing creative opportunities for isolated people living with mild to moderate dementia and their carers.
This research is based on four projects in which older women used participatory arts to enable them to articulate their experiences of ageing, and to create alternative images of ageing.
Kate Organ, Arts Adviser to the Baring Foundation, reflects on a recent British Council Study Tour to Japan to explore Arts in an Ageing Society.
Sign up to Funding Central a free website for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises which provides free information on funding and fundraising, including a searchable database of funding opportunities.
This study sought to better understand how programs at contemporary and traditional art galleries might play a role in the lives of people with dementia.
The birth of Japan's first dementia friendly community has led to awareness of the needs of older people and the development of imaginative, open and inclusive appraoches to supporting the needs of a rapidly changing demographic.
Dance in Devon began a project giving older people in residential care access to a quality arts experience as participants and audiences. This film tells of one person's experience of the programme.
Read the evaluation of Green Candle Dance Company pilot Uplift! a dance and live music project.
Knitted Lives offered women between 60 - 93 the opportunity to work with 2 textile artists and a writer to produce a total of 125 three-dimensional knitted objects representing stories from their lives.
The Age of Creativity is a network of professionals and organisations that thrives by working in partnership. If you’re specialism is and your work supports older people to enjoy improved health, wellbeing and quality of life through the arts and culture, then your website could feature here for free. If you provide information on your website that our national network could benefit from then we really need to connect up so get in touch today.”
