Never ending story and forgotten futures: moving beyond decline/renewal binaries in dementia care

ABSTRACT

‘Dis-identifications from dominant models of subject-formation can be productive and creative’ (Braidotti 2013, 167). This problematises applied theatre practices informed by received understandings of dementia, and their implications for memory and identity. Forgotten Futures (2017) and Never-Ending Story (2016-ongoing) refuse those understandings, emphasising future-focused, relational well-being for people living with dementia.

KEYWORDS:

• Dementia care
• memory and imaginary theatre

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Niamh Malone is a Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre at Liverpool Hope University. She is founder and director of Hope Graduate Theatre Company (est. 2012). She is published in areas of Urban Regeneration, Applied Theatre (Dementia care and Community Theatre), and Irish Theatre.

Donna Miles is founder and Artistic Director of RMD – Memory Matters Creative Arts Company, est. 2010. She has recently graduated from Sterling University with an MSc in Dementia Studies. She is published in areas of arts practice and dementia care. She is now pursuing doctoral research at Liverpool Hope University.

Notes

1 It is important to acknowledge substantial resources available for dementia research, under the Coalition government’s Dementia 2020 initiative. It may be that the driver of this policy decision is a need to reduce costly demands on NHS budgets.

2 This is a national initiative. For more information visit: https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/