To support our webinar on 19th May in partnership with 100% Digital Leeds we are bringing together a few examples of creative ageing with attention to digital inclusion and care homes and good practice in Leeds.
We have a history of creative and cultural engagement in care homes such as:
the Balbir Singh Dance Company’s multisensory 2018 performances of Love and Spice across care homes, promoting health and wellbeing through movement and storytelling
Time To Shine’s In Mature Company with Yorkshire Dance: a 4-year programme from 2018 of dance and music to reduce loneliness and isolation of care home residents living with dementia
ArtlInk West Yorkshire’s 2019 We Are All Artists 12-week programme developing opportunities for artistic expression with care home residents,
Leeds Museums’ Musical Mosaics project in 2020 collaboratively exploring their collection to inspire mosaics with artists, musicians, care staff and care home residents
Much of this work has relied on artists working in care homes and in-person events with multisensory activities, which have not been possible since March 2020 due to covid restrictions. Nevertheless, creative engagement has continued such as Arts Together Leeds and Live Music Now organising music and poetry performances outside care settings in all weathers and much has been possible online and with the support of technology.
We focus here on four art themes described in the World Health Organisation’s 2019 Report on evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being
Literature: Leeds Libraries offer audiobooks and e-books allowing for bookclubs as well as access to a range of magazines. We have found all kinds of health benfits from books - for example at Bramley Elderly Action participants in a zoom book club have benefitted from the online chat and discussion as a means of exercising their voices and getting used to social interaction again.
Visual Arts and Crafts: There are a huge number of online videos, courses and written instructions supporting participatory arts such as Art Doctor’s Lockdown Specials which captures much of the spirit of We Are All Artists. Leeds Playhouse has just completed a 10 week programme of remote, intergenerational arts engagement called Reasons To Be Hopeful involving 50 people over 50. They are now inviting people across the city to be involved in crafting 5000 flowers as part of a new project The Promise of a Garden - older people and care users are invited to get involved, the project is open until 6 August 2021.
Culture: Exploring museum and other cultural venues is now possible through virtual tours such as the chance to go ‘backstage’ at Hyde Park Picture House. You can also enjoy 12,000 archive films from the British Film Institute for free. Google Arts and Culture is a way to explore over 1500 objectives from cultural organisations in Leeds, including Leeds Museums and Galleries and Northern Ballet, as well as across the globe.
Performing Arts and Music: We have talked with care services about the popularity of using music through Alexa or music apps like Spotify to play “Guess the sound from the 60s” or identifying songs from the movies. Leeds Concert Season is the largest concert series in the UK outside London - they have committed to offering live-streamed and free in-person lunchtime performances throughout the year. RJC Dance are offering an adults and elders dance session online every Friday 12.30pm to move, groove and exercise - for more information and to book your place, please email stef@rjcdance.org.uk. Yorkshire Dance have continued their Dance On programme remotely with videos available for anyone over 55 interested in dance.
We hope this gives some ideas for arts engagement. Our previous webinars with 100% Digital Leeds in January 2021 go into more detail on the breadth of local arts for health projects. If you want to learn more about creativity in care homes including celebrating good practice in Leeds, finding out about new opportunities and meeting other people please join our Creative Ageing Forum meeting next month. Everyone is welcome!