Saturday, September 12, 2015

Dementia arts project coming to Llan

A project aimed at people living in the community with dementia is coming to Llangollen.
 
Lost in Art is will have sessions led by professional artists who are also Dementia Friends.
 
Its aim is to explore the role of the visual arts in addressing issues which can affect people with dementia, including social isolation, confidence, communication and quality of life and wellbeing. 
 
People with dementia often experience poor quality of life due to reduced independence, reduced activity and reduced social contact.
 
This reduction of social contact is often the result of the stigma associated with the condition and in light of this, there has been increased interest into finding activities in which people with dementia can engage with and enjoy without feeling patronised or stigmatised, and which stimulate the participants both mentally and physically, making them feel valued and deemed capable.
 
One such activity is art, and Bangor University’s evaluation of the Lost in Art programme identified a range of benefits which included suggested improvements in communication, mood, and memory.
 
Lost in Art has been running for five years in Denbighshire, funded by Arts Council of Wales and Denbighshire County Council.
 
The project runs in 11-week blocks and has been based at Ruthin Craft Centre and in various locations in Rhyl, where participants were encouraged to engage with current exhibitions. 
 
The participants are sometimes joined at workshops by a family member where they are encouraged to work both together and separately. 
 
The Lost in Art Regional programme builds on these ideas, providing an art programme across four counties for people with dementia to enjoy. 
 
Each project includes a visit by children from a local primary school. 
 
Following a visit to the school by a member of the Alzheimer’s Society, where pupils learn about dementia and become Dementia Friends, the children and their teacher spend an afternoon engaged in artistic activity with Lost in Art members, getting to know one another and enjoying the opportunity for some intergenerational exchanges.
 
No previous art experience is necessary, and workshops will be running over the autumn months in the following locations:  Llandudno, Llangollen, Mold, Rhyl, Ruthin and Wrexham. 
 
* If you would like to join any of the groups, phone Jo McGregor, Project Co-ordinator, on 07973 931097, or Denbighshire's Arts Officer Sian Fitzgerald on sian.fitzgerald@denbighshire.gov.uk 01824 708216   .
 

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