Creativity supporting people to live well with dementia

Dementia Awareness Week 2016 is focusing firmly on tackling the misunderstandings and myths about dementia.

Through our HenPower project, our creative sessions in care settings and latterly our Creative Age project we meet a plethora of people, all with different skills, interests and passions.

Hearing from those living with dementia, we know that life doesnt end when dementia begins and it is possible to live well after a dementia diagnosis.

For the past five weeks Joycelyn Grieves has been attending Creative Age at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland with her husband Fred, 81.

Joycelyn, 79, said: “Coming here and being creative has made me realise that when you get down this is the sort of thing you should be doing and I had stopped because I was not well.

“Instead I was concerned about remembering to keep things tidy and not forgetting how you do things. Now I know if there is something you like doing, then that is more important. It has helped me turn back to the things I used to enjoy. I had just stopped but now I have that enthusiasm back.”

With funding from Comic Relief and Arts Council England our Creative Age provides creative opportunities for people living with dementia and their carers in cultural venues.

Seven venues across the North East see the success of the weekly sessions, among them BALTIC in Gateshead, Arc in Stockton and Mima in Middlesbrough.

While the number of people in the region living with dementia is expected to reach 40,000 by 2020, funding for traditional day services offering people support and meaningful activities is being squeezed.

We felt cultural venues were well-placed to open their doors and widen their offer for people living with dementia.

For Mima director Alistair Hudson the Creative Age initiative is an opportunity to take an active civic role and use creativity to help provide alternative solutions to broad cultural issues such as healthcare, regeneration and housing.

He added: “Rather than simply doing exhibitions we want to offer a more useful programme of activities that will have an impact on society and culture. The health and wellbeing of the region is high on our agenda, we feel this is a truly fitting project to be working on alongside Equal Arts.”

To find out more about Creative Age and coming along to a session ring 0191 477 5775 or email information@equalarts.org.uk