Accessibility

"While reminiscence has a role, we believe alternative approaches which focus on enjoying living in the present and exploring creativity and the imagination need to be embraced."

 

We're teaming up with cultural venues across the UK and Europe to help transform access to arts for those living with dementia. Creative Age is a pioneering initiative leading the way in dementia-friendly arts sessions. Celebrating the creative abilities of those involved, venues and participants take part in weekly workshops with professional artists, led by the interests of the group.

Keeping connected during Covid-19

Throughout the pandemic, with face-to-face sesisons no longer possible, we've taken Creative Age online. Participants have been keeping connected and creative with weekly artist-led sessions.

For those not able to access online support, we have monthly Create at Home packs going out to 200+ homes and organisations each month and filled with a variety of arts activities.  

Create at Home packs (Issues 1 to 11) are also available for individuals here in our shop.

Find out more about Creative Age Challenge

Join here

Dementia and Creativity

Creative Age is a huge step forward for the North East in terms of providing arts provision for those with dementia, their families and carers.

Figures show the number of people living with dementia in the North East is set to rise to more than 40,000 this year. There is a growing understanding that creativity is intact long after other cognitive functions decline.

Creative Age sessions are inclusive, friendly and focus on people’s imagination and ideas. They are about what the individual can do now, in a particular moment.

We believe Creative Age is an ideal opportunity to encourage arts venues in the North East to widen their offer for people with dementia.

"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 wasn’t 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, 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."Joycelyn Grieves, 81, Creative Age participant at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland.
"My mum received a diagnosis of frontal temporal dementia. Creative Age gives mum confidence in a really positive way. I can't put into words what it means to her and the family. Life can be tough for her when she is constantly 'wrong' or doesn't know what to do. I love to speak to mum on a Tuesday. I hear her excitement as she recounts what she has done.
"I just feel as though the group and activities were tailor made for her. They seem to challenge her and tap into her inner most resources without over-whelming her."

Training

We provide our Dementia & Imagination training to support improved communication for those working with and welcoming people living with dementia and their care-givers.

The interactive and engaging half-day training (currently delivered online) is ideal for creative practitioners and artists and staff within cultural and community venues in contact with the public.

Offering an interactive and active learning approach, the training provides participants with an understanding of the Imagination Model in engaging with people living with dementia, and the confidence to create inclusive, dementia-friendly creative opportunities that are 'inspired by imagination'.

You can book onto our latest training here.

 

You can get involved in Creative Age sessions at venues across the North East.

Please contact individual venues for the latest session information.

Hatton Gallery, Newcastle University - Telephone Zoe Allen on 0191 277 8885 or email Zoe.Allen@twmuseums.org.uk 

Mima, Middlesbrough - Telephone Claire Pounder on 01642 046953.

National Glass Centre, Sunderland - Telephone Rachel Groves 0191 515 5523.

Arts Centre Washington - Telephone Matthew Blyth on 0191 561 3458. 

Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens - Telephone 

Northern Print, Newcastle - Telephone 

Barn at Easington (with East Durham Creates)  -  Contact Cat Jarman at cat@eastdurhamcreaties.co.uk

Durham Oritental Museum - Contact Charlotte Spink on 0191 334 5694 or email oriental.museum@durham.ac.uk

The Bowes Museum  - Contact Julia Dunn to register your interest at julia.dunn@thebowesmuseum.org.uk

Baltic, Gateshead - Telephone the Learning Team on 0191 4404919 or email Vicky Sturrs vickys@balticmill.com

Abbott Hall, Kendal - Telephone Shannon Quigley to book a place on 01539 722464

Or contact us on 0191 261 1619 for more information.

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