Dementia-inclusivity at the heart of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Arts Office autumn programme

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (dlr) Arts Office has today announced details of ‘Framing the Senses’, a dementia-inclusive programme of arts and creative activities, which will take place in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown throughout the autumn and into the winter.

Funded by Creative Ireland through the Creativity in Older Age Scheme, the programme builds on a dementia-inclusive art exhibition, a specially commissioned multi-sensory art installation and a series of dementia-inclusive activities hosted by the Council in dlr LexIcon Library earlier this year. The autumn programme features the following strands:

• A series of talks exploring dementia and creativity: Organised by dlr Library Service in conjunction with the Global Brain Health Institute, the talks will explore the positive impacts of music, movement, visualising and storytelling on people living with dementia. The talks will include interactive and performative elements and will be given by artists and fellows of the Global Brain Health Institute (further details below).
• A programme of creative and multisensory activities delivered on site in residential care settings for older people: This collaboration between three dementia-inclusivity trained artists, Saint Joseph’s Shankill and Dalkey Community Unit for Older Persons brings arts-based multisensory activities directly to those who are unable to travel from their care setting.
• A free and interactive programme of activities for carers of people living with dementia: Hosted by dlr LexIcon, as well as Blackrock, Cabinteely and Dalkey libraries, the activities include music and dance workshops and are delivered by artists and facilitators who are experienced in working with people living with dementia and their carers.
• A programme of research into the impacts of an arts-based multisensory approach to working with people with dementia: dlr Arts Office has commissioned qualified psychotherapist Davina Brady to undertake a body of research to inform the further development of its services for people living with dementia.

Speaking about the programme, Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr Mary Hanafin said: “We are delighted to announce details of our dementia-inclusive autumn programme today, which offers free and engaging arts-based activities for people living with dementia, for their carers and for people who would like to learn about the condition.

“There are almost 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland and for each person with dementia, three others are directly affected. With a higher-than-average number of older people among Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown’s population, we have been offering dementia-inclusive creative activities as part of our arts and community programme for ten years.

“During this time, we have seen that creative and arts-based activities not only bring participants joy, reduce isolation and allow them to connect with others but that they are also a powerful way for people to stimulate their mind and engage their senses.”

Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Frank Curran added: “We received fantastic feedback from the visitors to our dementia-inclusive art exhibition and multisensory installation during the summer. People enjoyed the opportunity to explore something new together with their loved ones, and to use their five senses to recall memories and inspire conversations. We know that arts-based and multisensory activities such as these have a real impact, so, as part of our autumn/winter programme, we are excited to extend access to people who are unable to travel from their residential care settings.”

Siobhan Grant, fundraising manager at Saint Joseph’s Shankill, one of the residential care settings that is participating in dlr Arts Office’s dementia-friendly autumn programme, said: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to take part in this dementia-inclusive project, and we are really grateful to dlr Arts Office for continuing to champion projects that inspire creative connections with people living with dementia. The people who live here at Saint Joseph’s really benefit from these sensorial experiences, which enhance opportunities to reminisce and instigate many wonderful conversations.”

Full details of dlr Arts Office’s dementia-inclusive autumn/winter programme, including booking links, are available here.