Stronger together: learning from an interdisciplinary dementia, arts and well-being network (DA&WN)

ABSTRACT

Background This paper reports on the learning from a 12-month interdisciplinary project (Dementia, Arts and Wellbeing Network– DA&WN) and its activities. These featured a series of four workshops on dance, visual art, theatre and music. The network was comprised of clinicians, academics, creative practitioners and people with lived experience of dementia and their carers.

Methods The workshops were designed to draw out tacit knowledge about well-being in dementia through an action-based learning and research approach. This included, guided activities combined with reflective group discussions, visual documentation and baseline and follow-up questionnaires.

Results Outcomes included new collaborations between group members, changes in creative practice for artists, and active and sustained involvement of people living with dementia and their carers in similar opportunities and participatory research.

Conclusion This participatory and inclusive workshop model should be considered to develop and enhance interdisciplinary activities in dementia care.

KEYWORDS:

• Dementia
• music
• theatre
• visual art
• dance

Acknowledgments

Arts and Humanities Research Council (Network funding AH/N00650X/1), University of Nottingham, Institute of Mental Health. Thank you to Emma Wass and those with lived experience who took part.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [AH/N00650X/1].