Lost in Art
Denbighshire County Council
WINNER
Local Authority Arts Project Encouraging Community Cohesion 2018
Lost in Art is a visual arts project for people living with dementia and their carers. The aim of the project is to explore the role of visual arts in addressing issues that can affect people with dementia, including social isolation, confidence, communication and quality of life.
The project was developed with the Dementia Services Development Centre at Bangor University and also formed part of their research, Dementia and Imagination – academic papers have been presented at conferences around the world and are included in the All Parliamentary Arts in Health inquiry report.
Led by Denbighshire LA and with Arts Council of Wales support and partnership with neighbouring authorities the project was rolled out to Wrexham, Flintshire and Conwy. Participants are referred by working closely with social services, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, GPs and the Alzheimer’s Society.
The project is inspired by professional art work and usually takes place in gallery settings e.g. Ruthin Craft Centre, Theatre Clwyd, Oriel Wrecsam. Partnership with art organisations means that participants get to meet and work with visiting artists in addition to the Lost in Art delivery artists. Also, our delivery artists recreate ‘galleries’ to deliver sessions in community settings.
There is an intergenerational element with schools taking part – pupils undertake Dementia Friends training and create work with the participants in some of the sessions.
Outcomes:
- Professional exhibitions of participants work – recognising the contribution people with dementia can make.
- Show and Tell – participants have taken part in conferences and contributed to Welsh Government’s new dementia strategy.
- The project gives a voice to those with dementia.
- The success of the intergenerational work means that many schools develop a programme of regular visits to care homes and day care facilities contributing to dementia friendly communities.
- Due to Denbighshire’s partnership with Bangor University in evidencing the impact of the project it lends itself well to the local Public Services Boards’ Wellbeing Plans and addresses priorities as set out by the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
- The Denbighshire Lost in Art participants took part in the Connected Communities Utopia Fair and Conference 2016 – participants taking part in meaningful, stimulating and quality activities.
- Lost in Art delivery artists contributed to the ‘Dementia and Imagination Research Informed Approaches to Visual Arts Programmes’ that can be used as a handbook for others wanting to work with this client group.
Research outcomes of those taking part included: good recall of memory, expressions of preference, changes in mood and confidence, sense of achievement and looking forward to the future, feeling of control over the environment, increased sense of belonging to a community. Research outcomes for family members included: increased social support networks, change in attitude towards people with dementia and their capabilities.
“Friendly, welcoming, hard to describe I had surges of endorphin. Thoroughly enjoyable time and I came home full of ideas rather than memory problems. The group sucks you out of the abyss, lifted me out of depression.”
CYNGOR SIR DDINBYCH AR Y RHESTR FER AM WOBRAU ‘HEARTS FOR THE ARTS’ 2018
Mae’r rhestr fer wedi ei chyhoeddi ar gyfer Gwobrau ‘Hearts For The Arts’ 2018 Ymgyrch Genedlaethol y Celfyddydau. Mae’r gwobrau yn dathlu gwaith y Cynghorau, Cynghorwyr a Swyddogion Cyngor sydd wedi goresgyn heriau ariannol i sicrhau fod y celfyddydau yn aros yng nghanol bywyd cymunedol.
Mae Cyngor Sir Ddinbych wedi ei enwebu ar gyfer Prosiect Celfyddydol Awdurdod Lleol sy’n Annog Cydlyniant Cymunedol am ei brosiect Ymgolli Mewn Celf.
Derbyniwyd enwebiadau am wobrau mewn pedwar categori: Menter Gelfyddydol Awdurdod Lleol Gorau, Cefnogwr Celfyddydol Awdurdod Leol Gorau – Cynghorydd, Cefnogwr Celfyddydol Awdurdod Lleol Gorau – Swyddog, a’r Prosiect Celfyddydol Awdurdod Lleol Gorau sy’n Annog Cydlyniant Cymunedol. Eleni derbyniodd yr ymgyrch fwy o enwebiadau nac erioed o’r blaen ac o bedair cenedl y DU.
Cynrychiolwyr o blith partneriaid y gwobrau eleni a fu’n beirniadu’r rhestr fer. UK Theatre, Arts Development UK, Culture Counts, y Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol a What Next?.
Wrth drafod yr enwebiad dywedodd Culture Counts:
“Mae tystiolaeth helaeth o hyd a lled yr effaith o ran y gymuned oedd yn rhan o’r cynllun Ymgolli Mewn Celf. Roedd y rhai fu’n cymryd rhan yn teimlo synnwyr o berthyn ac o gyflawni drwy raglenni celf weledol. Yn ogystal â hyn roedd y canlyniadau i aelodau teuluoedd wnaeth ganfod agweddau newydd o ran dementia.”
Caiff Gwobrau ‘Hearts For The Arts’ 2018 eu darparu gan Ymgyrch Genedlaethol y Celfyddydau ac UK Theatre, mewn partneriaeth â Culture Counts, y Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol, Arts Development UK a What Next?.
Bydd enillwyr Gwobrau ‘Hearts For The Arts’ 2018 yn cael eu cyhoeddi ddydd Mercher 14 Chwefror. Beirniaid yr enillwyr ar gyfer gwobrau 2018 fydd: Samuel West (Cadeirydd Ymgyrch Genedlaethol y Celfyddydau), Rachel Wood (Swyddog Datblygu’r Celfyddydau, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Oldham AC enillydd 2017), Roy Williams, OBE (Dramodydd ac Aelod o Fwrdd Ymgyrch Genedlaethol y Celfyddydau), Philip Pullman (Awdur) a David Lan (Dramodydd a Chyfarwyddwr).
What our judges said:
The breadth and depth of the impact for the community involved in Lost In Art was very well evidenced. Participants found a sense of belonging and achievement through visual arts programmes. Further to this was outcomes for family members who discovered new attitudes to dementia.
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