Growing the Creative Ageing
Movement: International lessons
for the UK
Alice Thwaite

A partnership between The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and theBaring Foundation

Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all the individuals and organisations who hosted ourFellows during their travels, welcoming them, giving freely and generously of theirtime, sharing ideas, food and often a place to stay, and enabling the Fellowships tobe so successful.
We are also very grateful to our Fellows for their dedication to the developmentof the creating ageing sector and the improvement of older people’s wellbeing. It
is this very dedication that enabled them to become Fellows, travel the world andreturn with innovative ideas, without which this report would not exist.

About the author: Alice Thwaite
Alice has been a pioneer in the field of creative ageing in the UK since developing
Equal Arts to specialise in work with older people in the early 1990s. She received
a Churchill Fellowship in 2010 and visited Ireland and the USA looking at goodpractice. Since 2012 she has been the Coordinator of the Baring Foundation andWinston Churchill Memorial Trust partnership.
Equal Arts, based in Gateshead, brings together the arts, care and health sectors
to ensure older people have a better quality of life through access to creativity.
The HenPower programme is run by Equal Arts and is now operating in caresettings across the country, and internationally. The organisation also runs many
intergenerational projects, encouraging young people and older people to create
together.
Alice is keen to share good practice and was a member of the arts group of thePrime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia. Alice has also worked with the Royal
Academy, presented at MoMa in New York and been part of a British Council
delegation to Tokyo. She is also a Dignity Champion.

Cover photo: Kesen Boke Ichiza Theatre Company, Ofunato, Japan with WCMT Fellow Karin
Diamond. Performing a dementia awareness play to communities throughout Japan.

Foreword
As one of the older generation myself and someone always interested in its
welfare, I’m always delighted to hear of new and meaningful arts programmes
specifically designed to encourage participation in creative activities into later
life. I have been pleased to play a role in the WCMT joint programme with theBaring Foundation, and to have the opportunity to meet some of the Fellows andhear their stories,
In today’s ageing society, where many more people live with challenges such as
dementia and isolation, the arts have a powerful role to play in improving many
aspects of well-being. It is well documented that participatory arts can help both
physical and mental health – aiding mobility, as well as unlocking and evoking
memory and cognitive function.
This report highlights many imaginative programmes that have been developedin communities across the UK by Churchill Fellows, following their global travels
to witness inspiring practice in other countries.
Nowadays, the use of technology is more widely used in arts-based therapy,
alongside traditional approaches such as music, drama, painting and dance. It iswonderful to see these projects connecting and engaging people and developing
relationships across the generations.
I welcome this report and believe that the Fellows’ work will inspire others toactively set up or to participate in more community arts.

Baroness Joan Bakewell DBEiKaleidoscope Acting Up project, Northern Ireland. Photo courtesy of Kaleidoscopeii

Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Executive Summary  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1
What is creative ageing?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
Artists and art therapists – their respective roles
Good practice across art forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
Storytelling and poetry
Visual Arts
Music
Dance
TheatreDigital Arts
Incorporating creativity into day provision for older people  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
Training for care staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
Creative arts professionals in care settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  28
Evaluating impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  30
Afterword  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
Appendix A: References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32
Appendix B: List of Fellows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33

iii

BED project, Entelechy Arts, UK. Photo: Roswitha ChesherivExecutive summary
Introduction
Since 1965, The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (WCMT) has been funding
UK citizens to investigate inspiring practice in other countries and return with
innovative ideas for the benefit of people across the UK. Churchill Fellows arehighly motivated individuals, who bring back a new focus and vision to improvetheir profession and community.
The Baring Foundation is an independent foundation working to improve thequality of life of people experiencing disadvantage and discrimination. Since2010 it has focused its programme on participatory arts with people over 60, withthe belief that everyone has a right to take part in cultural activities, but thatthese also bring benefits in terms of personal health and well-being, as well as
community development.
Over a 4 year period beginning in 2010, WCMT collaborated with the Baring
Foundation, to fund 47 Churchill Fellowships in a programme entitled ‘Creative
Ageing’, examining the belief that the arts can play a positive role in older
people’s lives, including those with dementia.
More detailed individual Fellowship research recommendations can be foundwithin Fellows’ original reports, links to which are provided in Appendix B.

About this report
There are now 11.6 million people aged 65 or over in the UK, of which 1.5 million
people are aged 85 or over (Later Life in the United Kingdom by Age UK – April2017).
In recent years there have been many exciting developments in the burgeoning
field of creative ageing, with a growing recognition that being creative can help
us to age well, and support us later in life.
This report highlights some of the findings from the Churchill Fellows
international, experiential research projects, particularly concentrating on thework around art and dementia. This is done under five topics: art form; day care;training for care staff; artists in care settings and evaluating impact. Where work
has been transferred to the UK this is indicated by the phrase “Implementing
1good practice”.
The Churchill Fellows are arts practitioners, dancers, therapists, care workers,
writers, trainers and directors, providing community activities and opportunities
for older people, covering creativity and person-centred care in many aspects ofmusic, dance, drama and the visual arts.
Following their global findings, it is hoped that this report will offer ideas andexamples of innovative practice that can be taken forward by practitioners andthose interested in creative ageing, to adapt to their own specialism or context.

Key learning points
There are many examples illustrated in this report of Fellows delivering goodpractice influenced by their travels and these should have a wider impact onpolicy.
•Supportive, high-quality leadership is critical to the success of creative
initiatives and their influence on organisational culture in care settings.

•

Partnership working between the cultural, health and adult education sectors
should support the development of imaginative day services for older people.

•

The importance of developing artists’ networks to share ideas and bestpractice is essential for the growth of the sector.

•

There is a need for ‘shadowing’ opportunities and more formal training
opportunities for artists working in the field.

•

There is a need for longer-term artists’ residencies in care homes rather
than traditional two-hour weekly sessions, with an emphasis on involving
managers, staff team and residents – a ‘whole home’ approach.

•

Care staff training needs to incorporate creative approaches and the role ofactivities co-ordinators needs to be elevated, with a clear path to continued
professional development.

•

Better advocacy is required to raise the profile of the work.

•

There is huge potential for delivering multi-sensory, multi art form
approaches to support the quality of life for people living with dementia incare homes and this needs cross sector training.

•

Creative and artistic initiatives should be used for care staff self-care to help
staff retention.

2

What is creative ageing?
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island“There is no denying the problems that accompany ageing. But what
has been universally denied is the potential. The ultimate expression ofpotential is creativity.”
Dr Gene Cohen, The Creative Age: Awakening human potential
Dr Gene Cohen, who founded the USA’s National Center on Aging in 1975,
argued that the brain would continue to create new cells at any age as long as it
was engaged in new and challenging intellectual activities. His work in a numberof studies on ageing has supported this belief, including a 2002 study suggestingthat involvement in the arts later in life led to a lower incidence of illness.
The arts and ageing (or as we now call it, creative ageing) field has been evolving
slowly but steadily since the 1980s. Originally it was dominated by ‘reminiscence’practice – the idea that as we age we value looking back and sharing ourmemories of the past. In their report Seeing the Person Behind the Patient (2003),
Clarke, Hanson and Ross say, “Biographical approaches provide older people
with opportunities, if they so desire, to talk about their life experiences, family,
friends, work history, hobbies often using photographs and personal belongingsas triggers to discussion. Exploring older people’s past and present lives withthem, particularly the circumstances that have shaped their experiences,
potentially provides greater insights into their needs and aspirations and may
help to challenge ageist stereotypes about later life. Listening to a person’s life
story is a powerful way of showing that they are valued as an individual andmay also have a cathartic value”. It is recognised, (although not always made apriority) that in “order to deliver person-centred care it is vital to know the life
history of the residents in care home” (Caroline Twist, Fellow 2015).
Fellows also explored the potential of using ‘the imagination model’ whichfrees people of the need to remember and gives them the opportunity to create
new stories and make new connections in a ‘failure free’ environment. This has
been championed by, among others, Anne Basting, who created the model ofstorytelling called TimeSlips (see page 14). Andrew Larpent (Fellow 2010) was
Chief Executive of Somerset Care Group when he undertook his Fellowship. He
noted that it is becoming increasingly clear that decline in cognitive ability insome areas of brain function does not necessarily mean an inevitable loss ofability in others. Creative talents, hitherto underdeveloped and inhibited, can be3stimulated into rewarding creative activity.
The Baring Foundation recognises that the arts have intrinsic value, that they
are “fundamentally important for their unique ability to give joy and express
the world” (D. Cutler Ageing Artfully 2010). In addition, a review by the Mental
Health Foundation of the evidence about the benefits of the arts on older
people concluded that “engaging in participatory art can improve the well-beingof older people and mediate against the negative effects of becoming older.
This applies to mental and physical health as well as developing happier, more
integrated communities”. An Evidence Review of the Impact on Participatory Art
on Older People (Mental Health Foundation 2011).
The proportion of people over 65 in the UK has grown from 13% in 1971 to 17%
in 2006 and is expected to reach 23% by 2031 (Office for National Statistics 2016).
The largest percentage growth in population is among people aged 85 andover, the age group most likely to be in receipt of care services based on current
information and trends. People’s sense of being old is changing and expectationsof later life are higher than they have ever been. However, older people withhigh support needs have largely been left out of innovative service and practicedevelopments. Within health and social care there has been a recognition of
the importance of promoting dignity and choice; however take-up of direct
payments and individual budgets is still lowest among older age groups.

4Artists and art therapists – theirrespective roles
It is important to clarify the difference between artists working with older
people and art therapists. Dance, art, drama, and music therapy are formsof psychotherapy that uses an art form as its primary mode of expression,
particularly to address emotional issues. It is a profession that requires specialist
training. There are very few dance, art, drama and music therapists working incare settings with older people; these specialists are generally found in healthcontexts.
Richard Coaten (Fellow 2010) is a dance and movement therapist, with 11
years’ experience working in the NHS. He explains that dance and movement
psychotherapy in dementia is underpinned by a number of key principles:•

Body and mind are inseparable and through ‘body action’ there are close links
between movement, emotion and memory.

•‘Rhythmic group activity’ is a key element and important in giving back to
the person a sense of who they are, when that might be threatened (Marian
Crace approach).

•

Movement and dance help to reflect and also express personality.

•

The therapeutic relationship is of central importance.

Dance movement therapy (DMT) involves the intentional and compassionate useof breath, movement, touch and dance to promote the physical, psychological,
emotional and spiritual well-being of each person (Shustik & Thompson, 2001).
Dance therapists are educated to Master’s level in DMT and also have clinicalsupervision, which means that they have the opportunity to discuss theirpersonal and professional responses to the clinical work. This helps practitioners
understand the impact the work has on themselves and helps avoid burn out.
Many of these principles are also shared by dance artists and other artists who
run sessions with older people. Fergus Early (Fellow 2010) runs Green Candle
dance company and has more than 25 years’ experience of working in thefield. As he says “One distinction is that the dance artist has slightly different
objectives: they are not primarily aiming at a clinical or therapeutic outcome –they are looking to release and nurture the innate creativity within participants.
Of course, there are therapeutic benefits, which we rejoice in, but the primaryobjective has a different slant. This is not uncomplicated; most of the people who

5will employ us to lead dance sessions with people living with dementia or otherconditions absolutely do have a clinical outcome in their sights.”
Accordingly, artists working in the field gather data, collaborate with academia
on research projects and (in the case of Green Candle) create training
programmes which aim to inform dance students of the nature of different
conditions they may encounter, the psychological and physical effects of ageing,
the importance of safe practice, the value of a ‘person-centred’ approach – allthis alongside relevant dance and choreographic skills and investigations into
improvisation. The issues around supervision and support of those delivering the
programmes are key and those developing and delivering projects need to makesure this is budgeted for.

6Good practice across art forms
The following good practice examples, observed by Fellows during their research,demonstrate how different art forms are being used to promote well-being
among older people, particularly those with dementia, in a range of settings.
There are also examples showing how Fellows are putting their learning into
practice in the UK by establishing new programmes and using new approaches intheir work. These are indicated by the phrase “Implementing good practice”.

Storytelling and poetry
TimeSlips, USA
A model of practice that has spread throughout the USA, and that had an impact
on many Fellows, is TimeSlips. This method was devised by drama professor Anne
Basting (University of Minnesota) and has been gaining momentum since the late
1990s. Anne had initially focused on reminiscence drama and felt that it wasn’t
successful. She thought it put people with dementia in a difficult position, relying
on them to answer questions about their past.
Amy Veale (Fellow 2014), who visited a TimeSlips session in the Bronx, describes
her experience of seeing the model in action. “The dementia care facility I visitedcatered for people in the mid to late stages of dementia. Ten residents andtwo members of staff gathered round in a circle to create a story. A black andwhite photograph was produced by the facilitator. The photo was of an older
gentleman, pouring champagne into two glasses which were held by an older
lady. His arm was wrapped around her and they were smiling, wearing party hatsand looking into each other’s eyes.
“Looking around the group I was a little sceptical that the process would
work for everyone present. Some people in the group seemed distant anddisinterested; two members of the group appeared to be in the later stagesof dementia. When the facilitator asked what was happening in the photo,
someone started the process by stating the couple were celebrating a wedding
anniversary. This sparked another person’s imagination who thought thatperhaps they had won the lottery.
Someone else noted that they looked very old and thought they could becelebrating making it to 100 years old. And a whole story developed about how
and where the couple met (perhaps in Ireland, or maybe at school where she fell
7

over and he helped her to her feet), where they had their wedding and what
they did with all their lottery winnings.
All responses were included in the final story and the story was repeated atintervals to remind people what had been said. With the freedom to imagine,
to be creative and spontaneous, the story that developed was both original andentertaining. More importantly the group enjoyed the process, spirits were highand laughter filled the room.
Members of the group who had been quieter to begin with joined inenthusiastically. What really struck me about the session was that the TimeSlips
method seemed to foster a sense of community. Everyone got involved, including
staff. The two members of the group who had more advanced symptoms wereencouraged and supported by other members of the group and staff. Whenone of the individuals became distressed, a member of the group noted this andsuggested that they should sing for her.”
Online training in this method is available and it is becoming established inmany care facilities. Anne Basting’s book Forget Memory: Creating better lives
for people with dementia had an impact on many Fellows. The role of life story
is now an established part of care provision; the next important step will be toembed play and imagination into everyday life in care.
Gemma Seltzer (Fellow 2016) was also initially sceptical of the technique. She
thought that the online training was fairly rigid and was worried about thequality of creative facilitation, as it is not only artists that lead the sessions,but caregivers and family members too. Having spent time with the team in
Milwaukee and seeing TimeSlips in action, she changed her mind. She quotes
Anne Basting who says that “artists working with elders aren’t sole practitioners,
they are part of a community of practice”.
Romi Jones (Fellow 2014) notes, “What would it take to run TimeSlips sessions
in every care setting in the UK? A few hours’ online staff training, a change
in attitude, a willingness to try something new, to take risks. Mostly it takes acommitment to prioritise relationships to the same extent as physical care tasks
and the belief that older people with dementia are capable of being creative
storytellers.”

8

The Alzheimer’s Poetry Project, USA
Gary Glazner, a poet who set up the internationally acclaimed programme The
Alzheimer’s Poetry Project, made a lasting impression on Fellows.
He uses the ‘call and response’ method. This involves delivering lines of poetrythat are repeated back to him by people in the group, often with their own
contributions which he then incorporates into the poems. Gemma Seltzer (Fellow2015) says, “Call and response is an effective technique in reaching people
living with dementia… it uses what is known as ‘echoic memory’. A brief mental
echo that is thought to last up to about three or four seconds after an auditory
stimulus has been heard.” The time span of four seconds is close to the length ofa line of poetry in iambic pentameter.
Gary always starts with a warm-up exercise, during which he connects with eachindividual in the group. He then recites a poem which reflects the theme of thesession. The poem is then recited again, but this time the participants repeat theline together. Then the group creates a poem together, with Gary asking simple
questions and weaving each person’s response into a group poem.
This is very skilfully done and Fellows who visited The Alzheimer’s Poetry Projectcommented on how impressed they were by the professionalism and empathy
shown by Gary.

9

Visual Arts
Meet Me at MoMA, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Many Fellows were interested in the high-profile Meet Me at MoMA programme
which has been very successful in igniting a real interest among galleries andmuseums around the world to create programmes for people with dementia.
This project was set up in 2007 to develop the Museum’s education programme
to engage people with dementia and their care partners. A grant from MetLife
enabled the Museum to create free online resources and funded staff dedicatedto sharing the project nationally and internationally. Eighty-eight museums now
have similar programmes including the Royal Academy of Arts and Dulwich
Picture Gallery. The programme enables people to reflect on the Museum’s
paintings without needing an art historical context. Rich conversations are
generated, connections are made, smiles are exchanged, relationships built.

Meet me at MoMA, New York © The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Photo: Jason
Brownrigg

Michelle Weiner (Fellow 2014), who worked on the Good Times programme at
the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, visited a range of museum programmes
during her Fellowship. She identified a strong set of principles that increase thechances of success:10•Provide a caring environment•

Incorporate ritual, routine and repetition•

Enhance language and communication•

Provide an ‘in the moment’ experience•

Ensure professional quality•

Accommodate individual creativity•

Be equal•

Celebrate creativity•

Share commitment

This set of principles was echoed by all the Fellows and many examples aredescribed throughout their reports.
Interestingly MoMA has changed its focus and its new PrimeTime programme ismore inclusive (age-friendly rather than just dementia-friendly) and focuses onart making as well as art looking. Francesca Rosenberg, Director of Community,
Access and School Programs, said that this in part has been inspired by‘pioneering projects’ led by Fellows Michelle Weiner (Fellow 2014) from Dulwich
Picture Gallery and Alice Thwaite (Fellow 2010) from Equal Arts. This emphasises
the two way nature of the Fellowships which result in Fellows impacting
international practice and developing relationships with host organisations over
time.

Music
Music and Memory, USA“The impact of music has solid neuroscientific and psychological bases.
Music facilitates communicative and relational processes and emotional
expression. It can increase some cognitive functions such as memory andexecutive function”(Brotons M, Koger SM)
Claire Ford (Fellow 2011) was particularly affected by Dan Cohen’s Music andMemory project, which aims to bring personalised music into the lives of older
people by creating personalised iPod playlists. Dan Cohen had a backgroundin social work but realised how iPods were a poorly utilised resource in nursing
home care. Rather than simply picking music from an era, Cohen realised the11

importance of personalising the playlists and this also had an impact on staff
morale and reduced antipsychotic drug use.
Music is shown to have a powerful impact on people by enabling them toconnect. This concept is now widely understood, although not practised enoughin care settings. The skill is in finding out what music each individual wants tohave on their playlist and developing staff’s skills to enable them to work withfamily and residents.

Dance“Why older people dance is as varied as every older person… why does
anyone dance? Maybe they danced when they were young, and they
remembered it and they were told they couldn’t do it past the age of30, and all of a sudden they’re having this other opportunity. Or maybe
they’ve never danced before and they’re looking for something that willallow them some new ways of moving their body. I think the second
half of life is often about reinvestigating parts we’ve left behind. What
we’re used to is no longer sustaining us in the same way and we’reopen to new ways… I think people also come to it for health reasons,
I’m going to get in shape – I’m going to dance…”
Amie Dowling, choreographer and professor in the Performing Arts andSocial Justice Department, University of San Francisco
Fellows found that dance can transcend cultural and economic differences, healthchallenges and attitudes to ageing, and give people opportunities to enhance
the quality of their lives, especially in becoming healthier, more connected andmore expressive older adults.
This was observed by Filipa Pereira-Stubbs (Fellow 2014), who visited threehospitals in the United States to research wellness and arts programmes. These
were the Montefiore Hospital in South Bronx, New York; Shands Hospital in
Gaine, Florida; and San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Centre. The
hospitals’ wellness and arts programmes exist to promote the quality andexperience of the hospital stay, and to transform healthcare environments.
Jill Sonke from Shands Hospital explains, “Dance can really help heal the dividethat happens in the body – sometimes when we’re not well there’s the sensethat our body has let us down, and we can be disappointed in our bodies, andwhen we’re in pain we just don’t want to be in our bodies. If we can have a few
moments of dancing and have a joyful experience that can close the gap a little
bit, and reconnect with their bodies.”12

A recurrent theme in the findings of many of the Fellows investigating dance waswhat Diane Amans (Fellow 2014) called ‘the process-product tension line’. Mostof the sessions Diane visited in Australia focused on technique – ‘getting it right’– the aim being to reproduce what the teacher is demonstrating. Diane visited
Tasmania to spend time with dancer Glen Murray (who received an Australian
Churchill Fellowship in 2012 and visited the UK).
Glen Murray is the founder and artistic director of MADE (Mature Artists Dance
Experience), which aims to provide mature adults with dance and theatre skills
development opportunities as well as highly aesthetic contemporary dance
theatre.
Dances are choreographed by Glen and there is an emphasis on technique.
“We like the technique,” says participant Annie. “We wouldn’t come if it was
improvisation.” Annie is enthusiastic about the fact that Glen pushes them.
“You’ve got to work hard on that stage,” says another dancer. “Something
happens inside me when I get out there.”
Diane says, “Glen has clearly developed the choreography to suit different

Dance & blues programme, Washington DC, USA. Photo: Stephanie Witham
13

abilities and experiences. This inclusive approach was rather unexpected –probably because he is fairly firm and sets very high standards. This delightfully
quirky choreography would really suit some of the groups I work with in
the UK. The performance by MADE was brilliant”. The fact that MADE wasperforming in Hobart’s well known Theatre Royal to a paying audience sets theevent apart from many community dance performances in the UK. Althoughsome community dance groups charge for their performances it is unusual forthem to perform as part of a mainstream programme. There is a long historyof improvisation in dance in the USA and a few practitioners, like Paula Turner(Fellow 2014) in the UK working with older people favour this approach.
Jane Hackett (Fellow 2012) created the wonderful biannual Elixir Festival at
Sadler’s Wells on return from her Fellowship, which celebrates lifelong creativity
and the contribution of older artists, and includes performances, workshops andconference.

Implementing good practice: Dance and dementia
Since returning from his Fellowship in Canada, Richard Coaten (Fellow 2010)
experienced a growth in self-confidence and a growing awareness of theimportant legacy of the Fellowship. He says, “I appreciate that in the fieldof movement, dance and dementia wherever I have gone to lecture, to runworkshops, to train dance and movement psychotherapists, it is the underlying
values of respect for personhood, of appreciation for difference, diversity and‘other-ness’, plus the importance of non-verbal communication that have reapeda rich harvest in changing hearts and minds. Hopefully too, we have been able toreduce not only the social isolation, loneliness and depression associated with thecondition, but also the stigma in society here and abroad that attaches to what
is a major societal problem all over the world. I also founded and co-ordinate
the world’s first virtual Centre of Excellence in Movement Dance and Dementia,
hosted by my NHS Trust employer, at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHSFoundation Trust.
Richard’s current focus is to develop his practice as a dance movement
psychotherapist in an older people’s acute assessment and treatment ward. “I
am also working with colleagues to bring the dance and dementia and danceand Parkinson’s work together, as a very significant percentage of people with
Parkinson’s go on to develop a Parkinsonian type dementia. It makes sense
therefore that both fields work together more, while also appreciating theirsimilarities and their differences. I am also part of the DAWN (Dementia, Arts andWellbeing Network) at Nottingham University’s Institute of Mental Health, whichis partnered with Worcester University in developing arts and dementia-based
practices nationally.”14

Implementing good practice: Dance and Parkinson’s disease
In the last few years there has been an upsurge in dance programmes for people
living with Parkinson’s, a long-term neurological condition that currently has
no medical cure. As an art form, dance is uniquely placed to support people
with Parkinson’s because dancers have knowledge and understanding of the
body in movement, thinking skills that support efficient and mindful action,
and an understanding of the way dance can transform the stages of the disease
through an engagement with expressive movement. Dance enables people livingwith Parkinson’s to be dancers, not patients, and offers them possibilities, notlimitations (David Leventhal, Director of Dance for PD). In this respect, dance has
a way of making people feel whole again.
Mel Brierley (Fellow 2014) visited different dance and movement based
Parkinson’s projects within New York and California. She worked alongside otherartists to establish practice, approaches to delivery and aims for the future.
Mel says, “The development of this movement has been due to the workof independent dance artists like myself, who have partnered with dance

Quicksilver dance group, Arts for the Aging, Washington DC, USA. Photo: Alice Thwaite
15

organisations such as Dance for Parkinson’s Disease in the United States andthe English National Ballet in the UK, to create a new field of community dance
practice supporting the lives of people living with Parkinson’s”.
A significant outcome of this engagement has been the establishment of theDance for Parkinson’s Network UK, directed by Kiki Gale, supported by the
Baring Foundation, and now as a special interest group in People Dancing, (theFoundation for Community dance, a UK development organisation). As a steeringgroup member Mel has helped develop the vision and practice of the Network to
help it achieve its mission that ‘everyone with Parkinson’s has the opportunity toengage in high-quality, diverse and creative dance activity across the UK’.
Mel continues: “Back in the UK I have been able to share practice with membersof the Network, including emerging artists through our new mentoring scheme,
and with community groups and organisations in the North West such as Pioneer
Projects. I attend and contribute to conferences with my continuing PhD research
into dance and Parkinson’s and over the last two years I have created a uniqueservice of one-to-one practice in people’s homes, called Home Performance,
which currently requires funding for its development”.
As an artist Mel has come to understand the significance of dance andParkinson’s for the people she works with, having witnessed them dancing
to embody movement and moving to share their dance about living with thisneurological condition. This empathetic practice helps to bridge the gap in
understanding between the dance artist and the person living with Parkinson’s.
In doing so, it provides a shining light for the way that people living with longterm health conditions can be valued and nurtured in community care.

TheatreImplementing good practice: immersive, non-verbal theatre
for people with dementia
Re-Live, Wales
Karin Diamond (Fellow 2010) and Alison O’Connor run Re-Live, a Cardiff-based
charity that provides a dynamic programme of life story theatre. Through theprogramme they invite people and communities to share their experiences, sothat audiences can witness the untold stories of their lives.
In 2010 Karin travelled to Japan to research theatre and memory work witholder people with Dr Yukimi Uchide. Dr Uchide is a leader in the field of creative16

and reciprocal approaches in dementia care. She manages 16 care facilities andis a director of a theatre company that promotes a greater understanding of
dementia by delivering performances throughout Japan. She is the founder of,and driving force behind, the first ‘dementia friends’ initiative in the world and isan advisor to the Alzheimer’s Association, Japan.
Karin says, “Working closely with Dr Uchide was a deeply inspiring experience.
I was able to visit care homes and day centres, shadow care workers, social
workers, doctors and nurses. I talked to people living with dementia, families
affected by dementia and visited people in their homes”.
Karen attended experiential training days for health and social care workers andparticipated in dementia conferences. She was also privileged to tour with Dr
Uchide’s theatre company, experiencing the power of theatre to both entertain
and inform community audiences about dementia”.
Karin returned to the UK with lots of new ideas. “Over the years, I’ve been able
to weave the learning gained from my Fellowship into Re-Live’s work,” she says.
“In 2011 Alison and I designed an experiential dementia training programme,
inspired by the training I attended for health and social care workers in Japan.
In 2014 we devised a theatre show, Memoria, that enables people living withdementia to share their stories on stage. Memoria was performed to sold-out
audiences and was live-streamed via the internet to over 4,000 people in 12
countries”.
The Memoria group continues to perform, raising awareness and influencing
policy. In 2015 they wrote Belonging, a bilingual play that reflects the real-life
experiences of people affected by dementia. The production had a criticallyacclaimed national tour of Wales in 2016, raising awareness of the complex issues
around dementia for health and social care audiences as well as community
audiences. To have been given the chance to travel and explore new ways ofliving and working has been life changing. Dr Uchide continues to influence
Karin’s practice and the ripple effect has been extraordinary.

The Garden
Arti Prashar (Fellow 2014) described her Fellowship as an invaluable opportunity
to reflect on her own practice and test out ideas in a ‘safe’ environment that
didn’t require funding or specific outcomes. Two years after her travels she
created The Garden.
“The Garden was designed specifically for people living in the later stages ofdementia. It is a piece of non-verbal theatre, that immerses you in the seasonsby delighting the senses using light, evocative images of the outdoors, sounds
17

of rain and birdcall, freshly laundered clothes, autumnal leaves, butterflies andworms. It not only brings the outdoors in, but enables a sense of play, by ‘doing’
everyday tasks like sweeping leaves, folding clothes and planting seeds. It offers
you a space to relax and contemplate life, it provides a moment of serenity. Thison one level is simple fun, on another a complex hour that gently makes one
consider stillness, end of life and the acceptance of death. A path we all tread.”

Arti Prashar and participant, The Garden, UK. Photo: Patrick Baldwin

Digital Arts
Implementing good practice: We engAGE, UK
Claire Ford (Fellow 2011) trained as a visual artist and visited a wide variety ofarts and dementia programmes on her travels to the USA. She was influenced
by multi-sensory approaches when working with people with mid to late stage
dementia. Most memorable for her was Dan Cohen’s Music and Memory (MoMA)
18

project in New York, Kairos Dance in Minneapolis and Poetry for Alzheimer’s,
New York.
When Claire returned to the UK she set up iPad EngAGE (now We engAGE). The
main aim of We engAGE is to empower and develop creativity and innovation
including music, art and animation through the use of iPad technology andthe range of apps on offer, with a person-centred approach. Claire piloted theapproach in a variety of settings and then developed a programme for residential
care homes. More recently she has piloted intergenerational projects, working
with Year 5 classes (9-10 year olds) and residential care homes, with the aim ofbuilding social connectedness and a better community to create a lasting legacy.

Claire Ford and participant, We EngAGE, UK.

19

Incorporating creativity into day
provision for older people
Many Fellows highlighted examples of different creative approaches to thedelivery of day centre provision. In the UK there has been a marked decline in
day centres, because of a combination of local authority funding cuts and anunderstanding that the traditional provision of a minibus to a centre for lunch
and bingo is not something that appeals to many of the ‘new’ old.

Iona Wellness and Arts Centre, Washington DC, USA
One excellent, easy to replicate service is the Iona Wellness and Arts Centre in
Washington DC. It is an award-winning day programme for adults over 60 thatprovides support for older people who are living with a cognitive or physicaldisability. Creative and community engagement is integral to Iona’s mission. It
offers a range of enriching activities (visual arts, yoga, dance, tai chi, music andpoetry). It has a full time art therapist creating programmes tailor-made forparticipants and an artist-in-residence scheme, and honours older artists.
It also had a poet-in-residence, an older poet who responded to art in Iona’s
gallery. As Gemma Seltzer (Fellow 2015) noted, “The poet often sat within the
exhibition, scribbling at a desk. A note alongside them was visible, saying ‘The
poet is here’ and inviting visitors to talk. This idea related to Iona’s ethos of
unveiling what is often hidden. A day centre as a public art gallery. An artist as aliving and working person”.
Laura Menzies (Fellow 2015) wrote, “The centre was a completely nurturing
environment where participants could thrive and had choice in the activities
on offer. It was fantastic to witness a building solely dedicated to a wellness
programme for elders and to see how both the staff and participants had
worked together to take ownership of the space and developed such a creative,
welcoming and caring environment for all”.

VUK (Voksenskolen for Undervisning og Kommunikation),adult education school, Aalborg, Denmark
Alison Ward (Fellow 2015), spent four weeks at VUK, an adult school of educationand communication that provides special education. Its philosophy is to matcheducation at an individual level, focusing on the person rather than the diagnosis.
20She discovered that attending the school meant meeting new ‘challenges andtasks’ which people looked forward to and welcomed. Those who attended
stressed the importance of the school adding that it supported their ‘sense of
purpose.’
Alison concludes that such a service would be possible in the UK and she isworking towards this. It is important to develop a curriculum with a variety ofactivities available, such as working with computers, history lessons, music andart, woodwork, gardening, cooking etc, so that people can engage with morethan just ‘cognitive training’.
Alison used the Fellowship to develop creative activities (particularly
photography) to support people with dementia to participate in research
activities. The use of photography not only enabled the students with dementia

Photo courtesy of Alison Ward.

21

to be creative but also supported them to have a voice to share their thoughts,
feelings and experiences.

Implementing good practice: Meet Me at the Albany
David Slater (Fellow 2010) investigated how arts and cultural practices can
support isolated older people to connect and contribute to the cultural life of
their communities. He travelled from the west to the east coast of the USA, andrecalls an inspiring moment during a visit to an older people’s singing group in
Brooklyn, New York.
“I had arrived late and expected the music session to be in full swing so was a
bit surprised that everyone still seemed to be just sitting around chatting. ‘Seven
months pregnant and she didn’t know anything about it and she’d only been to
the doctor a month before.’ Then the penny dropped! The gossip was an integral
part of the work: people’s energy, curiosity and urgent stories were being
channelled by the artist into breathing exercises and then vocal scales and finallyamazing songs. The art that was being created wasn’t separate from any otherpart of their lives. It was just a natural and necessary extension of them”.
David took this moment back to London and with his colleagues at Entelechy
Arts and the Albany they created Meet Me at the Albany, a weekly arts clubfor isolated elders. The project has been running for three years now and is areminder of what day care could and should be like. They ask simple questions– what if you were living home alone, feeling a bit anxious and uncertain,
what if you went to an arts centre instead of a day centre? The effect has been
incredible. Every Tuesday for 50 weeks a year more than 45 (formerly isolated)older people creatively occupy the café spaces of a large regional arts space, theAlbany in south east London. People who were formerly invisible have becomecelebrated and contributing members of their communities.
Writing for the Arts Council England, journalist Tanya Gold has said of the
project, “This is what society would look like, if only we scrubbed out ourignorance and fear”.
The Meet Me concept has now spread beyond the arts space into the communal
lounges of sheltered accommodation housing schemes and new clubs such as
Meet Me at the Movies are springing up.
“It’s a theme that runs centrally through all of my practice since my Fellowship,”says David. “Recently I co-devised a production called BED. It was a live art/
guerrilla street intervention that abandoned two older women in their night
clothes in beds on high streets. If approached, the older performers gave passers-22

by glimpses into unheard and avoided stories of isolation and loneliness. BED
was commissioned by Brighton Festival and many other street arts festivals acrosssouthern England. It’s just been another part of the incredible journey that somany of us are on, fuelled by the indelible experiences of our Winston Churchill
Memorial Trust Fellowships”.

Implementing good practice: Imagine Arts Centre, Northern
Ireland
Kerry Rooney (Fellow 2014) is Artistic Director of Kaleidoscope, an arts
organisation based in Northern Ireland. Following his Fellowship and inspired bytime spent at Stagebridge, the USA’s oldest theatre programme for older people,
Kerry set up the Imagine Arts Centre in 2015. It hosts 200 older people weekly
and delivers a varied programme of drama, dance, singing, ukulele playing andvisual art. Kerry credits the experiences he gained through his Fellowship as
greatly influencing the design and structure of the programme. Kerry received
an MBE in 2016, awarded for services to older people and drama in Northern
Ireland, particularly for his role in developing the award winning Acting Up
programme. He also runs the Imagine Arts Festival, an annual celebration of artsfor older people.

Kaleidoscope Acting Up project, Northern Ireland. Photo courtesy of Kaleidoscope23

Training for care staff“An excellent service supports and enables people to engage inactivities, pastimes and roles which bring them pleasure and meaningand enhance the quality of life.”
A definition of excellence for regulated adult social care services inEngland, Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2010
The issue of training for care staff was a consistent theme throughout theFellowships. Sylvie Silver (Fellow 2015), who is Director of the National Activity
Providers Association and Jennifer Garratt (Fellow 2014), who was then working
in Abbeyfield’s Learning and Development Team, both focused on finding
examples of good practice in the USA and Australia. Jennifer Garrett’s report
clearly defines the issues. “In care environments, roles are sometimes focusedaround easily quantifiable aspects of care, such as getting residents up, washed,
dressed and fed in the morning.”
A factor that may exacerbate staff reluctance to engage in artistic initiatives isthe distinction made between the role of the carer and the other staff member
who provides activities. It is the Activities Co-ordinator’s job to provide service
users with experiences that are enjoyable, fun and creative. This perceived
division of labour can encourage a tick-box approach to task completion andresult in staff missing opportunities to develop meaningful connections withservice users. Meeting deeper, emotional needs of the individual is an unclear
process and difficult to define. Can we blame staff for not meeting these needs
if they have not been taught the necessary skills and behaviours? While staff
may feel comfortable helping service users wash or dress, the realms of art andcreativity may be completely foreign, with fear of the unknown being a very real
barrier. A lack of resources can also result in ‘non-essential’ artistic activities being
the first to go when time is of the essence.

Valuing activity provision
Both Jennifer and Sylvie found that in the overseas settings they visited theactivity teams seemed to be more valued and recognised for their contribution toboth well-being and health. Sylvie notes that in the US there were more likely tobe teams who supported each other to deliver programmed group and one-toone activities with little connection or support from the nurses and carers.
In Australia she saw more carers supporting activity and engaging with the24activity staff, who were generally a smaller team or solo provider. Many different
titles were used in the USA, director of activities, programme manager, lifestyleteam leader or the engagement team. Many activity staff held a degree inrecreational therapy. In Australia diversional therapists (DTs) are recognised
health care professionals. Not all care settings Sylvie visited in Sydney andAdelaide had a DT, but they all had a skilled person in the lead role that had anationally recognised Certificate 4 in Leisure and Health as a minimum.
In the USA, New York State is not alone in requiring at least one of the activity
team to be a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). A CTRS is
expected to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) in orderto retain their qualification. Sylvie asked activity team members how they had
gained their qualifications. Some had gone to university and done a degree
course in recreational therapy, although none had planned to work with older
people at the time. Others had come into this work later in life but had relateddegrees in topics such as psychology.
Several activity directors had come into the role as activity assistants and had
self-funded a degree course or CTRS qualification, studying in their own time, inorder to advance their career. Sylvie got the impression that people expected to
pay for their own study if they wanted to progress.

Sing for Me: MADE Performance Theatre Royal Hobart, Australia, 2014. Photo courtesy of
Diane Amans
25

In Australia, Sylvie was struck by a comment from a senior manager who said
they would not interview anyone who did not already have at least a Certificate
4 in Leisure and Health. This was the most commonly held qualification for thosethat were not degree qualified in DT. DTs in Australia are nationally recognisedwith the same status and pay scales as other allied healthcare professionals.
It was clear that it was accepted practice to gain qualifications and that an
employer would encourage and support talented people. Although most were
expected to study in their own time they would attract a pay rise once qualified.
CPD was also seen as usual practice and the employer would support this throughformal supervision and the appraisal process.
In the UK there no equivalent degree-level course. The National Activities
Providers Association (NAPA) has been instrumental in developing recognised
qualifications with an Award at QCF Level 2 and a Certificate at QCF Level 3.
NAPA also offers training to gain these qualifications but had to develop a cohortof markers and assessors in order to do so, as none existed. NAPA is currently
developing a relationship with an academic partner to develop a degreelevel qualification in activity provision, and to develop a model for accessible
leadership training.

26

Creative arts professionals in caresettings
Activity providers in the USA and Australia seemed to value the knowledge
and skills that specialist creative arts professionals could bring to their work.
A number of settings, particularly in the USA, routinely included artists intheir programmes and in some cases they were permanent employees. Morecommonly they were sessional workers who were booked on a fairly regularbasis, which enabled them to get to know the client group and tailor their work
to suit.
Sylvie noted that there is a growing recognition of the value of skilled artists incare settings in the UK, but a reluctance or inability to commit resources to fundtheir work. NAPA has been involved in a number of initiatives to promote theuse of skilled artists to work alongside activity and care teams to support themto engage more through the arts. It has found that it can be a challenge in the
UK to find artists of the right calibre and skill sets. Other organisations in theUK, such as Equal Arts, support and train artists to work in care settings. Equal
Arts have developed a long term relationship with the local training provider,
the Tyne & Wear Care Alliance, which enables care and activities staff to receive
artist-led training.
In the USA the National Center for Creative Ageing is a representative body thatbrings artists together. The Australian Creative Arts Therapies Association fulfils
a similar role. Many artists have connected through the excellent international
conferences run by Arts and Health Australia. The UK has no Creative Ageing
national body, that delivers training for this work. However, the diversityof artistic and creative initiatives would make many aspects of standardised
training irrelevant for different groups. The training should be in core values andprinciples and improvisation techniques so that each artist can bring their own
skills and talents to deliver bespoke programmes.

27

Evaluating impact
Jennifer Garratt (Fellow 2014) visited 14 organisations and found a total of 13
formal measurement tools. These included The Creative-Expressive Abilities
Assessment Toolkit (CEAA), which was designed and developed by Dalia GottlieTanaha, Hilary Lee and Dr Pete Graf in Canada; the Zeisel Stigma Scale; the Myers
Research Institute Engagement Scale; and the Quality of Life in Dementia tools.
Whilst these tools are important and effective, having such a wide range of tools
and statistical measurements makes it difficult to compare the interventions andtheir impact.
There was also a marked difference between those Fellows who see the needfor this type of ‘impact’ measurement and those who believe that there is now
plenty of evidence that creative practice enhances the quality of life for older
people and believe that there is a need to ensure that the resources are spenton quality engagement rather than measuring impact. Diane Amans (Fellow2014) is developing ‘meaningful measurement’ and person-centred evaluation.
She explores this in her forthcoming publication An Introduction to Community
Dance Practice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2nd Ed 2017).

28

Conclusion
The commitment and vision of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and theBaring Foundation have changed the landscape of the creative ageing field in
the UK. Fellows have brought back innovative practice examples and are now
delivering exciting programmes of work, all over the UK. The challenge exists
to scale up the practice without losing the quality of delivery. There are still
issues relating to the fact that ‘community’ and ‘participatory’ art have very little
status in the art world and also few resources. However, there are now many
community interest companies setting up to address some of the gaps and large
arts organisations are beginning to understand the importance of engaging withthe 75-plus demographic.
Gemma Selzter (Fellow 2015) highlights an issue that was brought up by many
Fellows. “One of the challenges of facilitation is that which faces all artists
working independently – ensuring the creative work offers a high-quality
experience. There is less opportunity for peer support, space to test ideas andtime is often limited. It is rarely possible for artists working in hospitals and carehomes to shadow each other.”Good practice evolves when an artist is also connected to an arts organisation or
centre and a care provider. The artist needs to be supported rather than taking
full responsibility for the project design, management and evaluation.
As the field grows, there is an increasing demand for high-quality programmes,
particularly in care settings. There are unprecedented pressures on anunderfunded social care system which relies on a workforce which gets little
training and support. The combination of an exciting arts programme and a care
workforce that is well trained and resourced could revolutionise the experienceof older age. Churchill Fellows are leading the development of this importantarea of work and inspiring others to deliver new approaches.

29

30

Afterword
We would like to thank Baroness Bakewell for championing this programme– and for being its ideal role model – and Alice Thwaite for both writing thisinsightful report and giving expert guidance for the development of the
programme more generally.
This report makes a compelling case for the role of the arts in enriching livesof any age and the profound impact of international exchange. So rather thanelaborate on that, we would like in conclusion to relate the impact of the
programme on both our organisations.
In the case of the Baring Foundation, it was an object lesson for us in real
partnership, where both sides share a common interest but have different
expertise and resources. The Baring Foundation had developed a growing
portfolio of arts organisations with expertise on engaging older people, while
the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust was deeply experienced in organising
Travelling Fellowships and maximising the benefits of these. This very positive
relationship has led the Baring Foundation to expand into many further
partnerships with other funders, for instance all four of the national Arts Councils
in the UK. Secondly, although our arts programme is primarily dedicated towork in the UK, it has opened our eyes to the rich possibilities of international
exchange. This has led to the Long Live Arts partnership led by the Dutch Culture
Ministry and including Belgium and Germany, and a relationship with the British
Council which has led them to develop work on creative ageing in Japan, Korea
and Taiwan.
For the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (WCMT) this was also a first partnershipand marked a step change in the way we run our Fellowship programme. It
demonstrated to us the value, and pleasure, of working with organisations witha shared ethos and values, and specific expertise. Not only was this an inauguralpartnership, but it was the first time we had funded Fellowships in the same fieldover a period of several years. This has resulted in a network of highly motivatedand creative individuals from all over the UK who continue to share theircollective learning and create quality participatory arts programmes for older
adults. Watching the development and celebrating the ongoing achievementsof our Fellows has been deeply rewarding. The success of this partnership has
encouraged us to work collaboratively with leading organisations in other sectors
and we now focus on a particular subject for longer, thus building up nationwide
networks of individuals who are committed to effecting positive change in theircommunities and professions.
David Cutler
Director, The Baring Foundation

Julia Weston
Chief Executive, WCMT31

32

Appendix A: References
Later life in the United Kingdom (Age UK, 2017)
The creative age: Awaking human potential (Dr Gene Cohen, 2003)
Seeing the person behind the patient (Clarke, Hanson & Ross, 2003)
An evidence review of the impact on participatory art on older people (Mental
Health Foundation, 2011)
Forget memory: Creating better lives for people with dementia (Anne Basting,2009)
An introduction to community dance practice (Diane Amans, Palgrave Macmillan,
2017)

33

34

Appendix B: List of Fellows
The following is a list of the 47 participating Churchill Fellows who contributed
to this report with a link to their online profile on the WCMT website, which
includes the option to download their full report where available. All of theFellows’ findings contributed to the development of the overall themes andapproaches described in this report. The key learnings and case studies werechosen from a selection of the Fellows’ reports, interviews and surveys.
Diane Amans
Research into different approaches to community dance with older adults inAustralia and New Zealand, 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/dianeamans2014
Chris Avis
Connecting communities, curating and exhibiting artwork of the’ Third Age’ inDenmark, Germany and The Netherlands, 2013
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/chrisavis2013
Daniel Baker
Older people and public art: an international evidence base in Australia, New
Zealand and the U.S.A., 2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/danielbaker2012
Jane BentleyMusic and wellbeing in Older Adults, East to West in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore
and South Korea, 2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/janebentley2015
Janet Bolton
Dementia and the use of creative arts to maintain personhood in Australia, 2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/janetbolton2012
Claire Bolton van Weert
Using Music and Singing within Speech & Language Therapy to Improve Clients’Communication Skills in Canada and the U.S.A., 2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/user/2751
Melanie Brierley
Gathering practitioner and participant perceptions of dance for people with
Parkinson’s in the U.S.A., 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/melaniebrierley201435

Clair Chapwell
Participative Arts: New Families for Older People in the U.S.A., 2013
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/clairchapwell2013
David Clegg
Art making in dementia care: learning from learning disabilities in the U.S.A.,
2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/davidclegg2012
Richard Coaten
Developing embodied communications in dementia care in Canada, 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/richardcoaten2010
Karin Diamond
Theatre and memory work with older people in Japan, 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/karindiamond2010
Teleri Dyer
American approach to music therapy in dementia care in the U.S.A., 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/teleridyer2010
Fergus Early
Dance and older people in Japan, 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/fergusearly2010
Claire Ford
Enriching life with creative expression in the U.S.A., in 2011
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/claireford2011
Sylvie Fourcin
Exploring evaluative and research models used to assess the impact of creativity
on older people in Canada and the U.S.A., 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/sylviefourcin2014
Jennifer Garratt
The Arts and Older People: facilitating culture, development and training inAustralia and the U.S.A., 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/jennifergarratt2014
Sharon Goodlet
Arts and older people: exploring models of best practice in Australia and the
U.S.A., 2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/sharongoodlet201536

Helen Jane Hackett
Enhancing Elders’ wellbeing through dance performance, reminiscence and oral
history in Chile; Cuba, Mexico, and U.S.A., 2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/helen-janehackett2012
Clare Hammerton
Culturally creative activity and social care in Suffolk in Sweden and the U.S.A.,
2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/clarehammerton2015
Nicky Hatton
Participatory Theatre with people with dementia and their carers in Canada andthe U.S.A., 2013
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/nickyhatton2013
Sue Jennings
Theatre and performance with older people including those with dementia inCzech Republic, Malaysia and Romania, 2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/suejennings2012
Romi Jones
Creative writing to benefit older people and develop dementia friendly
communties in Canada and the U.S.A., 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/romijones2014
Andrew Larpent
Traditional storytelling and new media in dementia therapy in Australia, Canada,
New Zealand and the U.S.A., 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/andrewlarpent2010
Tom Makin-Bell
Disadvantaged older people and creativity: an international perspective in
Ireland and the U.S.A., 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/tommakin-bell2010
Laura Menzies
Arts & Older People: Exploring the Value of Creative Expression in Canada andthe U.S.A., 2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/lauramenzies2015
Kate Organ
Arts in a state of change in Japan, 2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/kateorgan2012

37

Ruth Osborne
Exploring Creative Volunteer Roles for Individuals Aged 50+ in American Art
Museums in the U.S.A., 2013
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/ruthosborne2013
Filipa Pereira-Stubbs
Moving from Problem to Potential: Dance and Wellness in the U.S.A., 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/filipapereira-stubbs2014
Arti Prashar
Spirituality and dementia in Australia; U.S.A., 2013
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/artiprashar2013
Rachel Rogers
Time and Tide: research into dance provision for older adults in the U.S.A., 2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/rachelrogers2012
Kerry Rooney
The Imagine Arts Centre in the U.S.A., 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/kerryrooney2014
Bisakha Sarker
A comparative study of Indian dance & ageing in Canada, 2013
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/bisakhasarker2013
Gemma Seltzer
Professional and creative development for writers working with older people inAustralia and the U.S.A., 2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/gemmaseltzer2015
Jade ShawRnD in NYC for life-changing Parkour Program aimed at UK seniors in the U.S.A.,
2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/jadeshaw2015
Sylvie Silver
Comparison of activity provision and the arts for older people in Australia andthe U.S.A., 2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/sylviesilver2015
David Slater
Growing old creatively: staying valued and engaged in the U.S.A., 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/davidslater2010

38

Georgina Spurgeon
Movement to music: wellbeing of older people in the Australia, 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/georginaspurgeon2010
Nicky Taylor
Creating together: connecting people with dementia, families, communities andtheatre in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.S.A., 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/nickytaylor2014
Philip Thomas
Wales Seniors’ theatre initiative in the U.S.A., 2012
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/philipthomas2012
Alice Thwaite
Creativity and ageing: learning to replicate best practice in Ireland and the
U.S.A., 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/alicethwaite2010
Paula Turner
Improvisation and circles as models for community belonging/wellbeing inAustralia, Spain and the U.S.A., 2013
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/paulaturner2013
Caroline Twist
Artists’ engagement with life story work in nursing homes in Brazil, Denmark,Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands, 2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/carolinetwist2015
Amy Veale
Arts based interventions for early stage dementia: an American perspective in
Canada and the U.S.A., 2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/amyveale2015
Alison Ward
Photography and storytelling: people with early stage dementia’s experiences
explored in Denmark, 2015
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/alisonward2015
Melaneia Warwick
Research health and social benefits of attending arts studios in Japan and the
U.S.A., 2013
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/melaneiawarwick2013

39

Michelle Weiner
Gallery and Beyond: training to transform arts for older adults in Australia andthe U.S.A., 2014
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/michelleweiner2014
Kay Wells
Creative expression, communication and AIDS dementia complex in Canada andSouth Africa, 2010
http://www.wcmt.org.uk/users/kaywells2010

40

Grand Gestures dancing, Walter Matthews.

8-10 Moorgate
London EC2R 6DA
020 7767 1348
www.baringfoundation.org.uk
Twitter: @Baring_Found
June 2017
ISBN 978-1-906172-29-9