‘Brightness in dark places’: Theatre as an arena for communicating life with dementia

Gjengedal, Eva; Lykkeslet, Else; Sørbø, Jan Inge; Sæther, Wigdis Helene

doi:10.1177/1471301213480157

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(14 reference statements)

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“…A burgeoning interest in creativity in the context of dementia has also manifested in a growing and diverse body of studies that have used innovative research methods to develop understandings of the subjective experience of living with dementia (e.g. Aadlandsvik, 2008; Bartlett, 2012; Buse & Twigg, 2016; Capstick & Ludwin, 2015; Gjengedal, Lykkeslet, S⊘rb⊘, & Sæther, 2014; Jenkins et al., 2016; Keady, Hydén, Johnson, & Swarbrick, 2017; Kontos, Miller, & Kontos, 2017). Examples of these include co-creational arts-based research methods such as poetry (Aadlandsvik, 2008), drama (Jenkins et al., 2016) and participatory film-making (Capstick & Ludwin, 2015), diary methods (Bartlett, 2012) and methods privileging material and embodied experience (Buse & Twigg, 2014, 2016, 2018; Kontos et al., 2017).…”

Section: Creative Methods Used To Study the Experience Of Dementiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Broadening the debate on creativity and dementia: A critical approach

Bellass

Balmer²,

May

et al. 2018

Dementia

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In recent years there has been a growing interest in person-centred, 'living well' approaches to dementia, often taking the form of important efforts to engage people with dementia in a range of creative, arts-based interventions such as dance, drama, music, art and poetry. Such practices have been advanced as socially inclusive activities that help to affirm personhood and redress the biomedical focus on loss and deficit. However, in emphasizing more traditional forms of creativity associated with the arts, more mundane forms of creativity that emerge in everyday life have been overlooked, specifically with regard to how such creativity is used by people living with dementia and by their carers and family members as a way of negotiating changes in their everyday lives. In this paper, we propose a critical approach to understanding such forms of creativity in this context, comprised of six dimensions: everyday creativity; power relations; ways to operationalise creativity; sensory and affective experience; difference; and reciprocity. We point towards the potential of these dimensions to contribute to a reframing of debates around creativity and dementia.

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Section: Creative Methods Used To Study the Experience Of Dementiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Broadening the debate on creativity and dementia: A critical approach

Bellass

Balmer²,

May

et al. 2018

Dementia

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“…Previous research [11, 14, 15, 16] has focused mainly on educating health care workers, caretakers, and diagnosed patients. Those prior studies directly engaged with individuals involved in the dementia care process, and demonstrated an increase in understanding and caretaking approaches among their target audience.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Creative Arts in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Public Health Education

Burns

Watts

Perales

et al. 2018

JAD

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Previous research involving dramatic performances about Alzheimer's disease and dementia perception have targeted health care workers or caretakers. We examined the influence of a theater performance on the emotional affect of a general audience to determine the utility of this type of theater in large-scale public health education efforts. Our study included 147 participants that attended a self-revelatory theater performance based on the social/relationship experiences of those with dementia and those who care for them. This type of theater engages the audience and actors in a dual transformative process, supporting the emotional growth of all involved. Participants completed pre- and post-performance questionnaires regarding their beliefs and feelings surrounding the topic of dementia and the importance of the Arts for educating on issues surrounding dementia care. We tested for change in emotional affect pre- and post-performance using sensitivity and center of gravity statistical analyses. We found a significant change in emotional affect from an initial strong negative affect to slightly more positive/relaxed view after viewing the performance. Findings support self-revelatory theater as a resource to destigmatize preconceived notions of dementia. Large-scale community health education efforts could benefit from using this style of theater to elicit a change in audience perception of disease realities.

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“…In addition, the arts are effective at alleviating boundaries between service providers and people with dementia and in providing new insights for the dementia workforce and family members. The arts have a unique application for uncovering International Journal of Ageing and Later Life and communicating the interior worlds of those living with a dementia (Gjengedal et al 2014;Ryan et al 2009). The spate of recent theatre productions, memoirs, and films exploring various aspects of living with a dementia indicate that there is a receptive and wide audience for artistic contemplations of this condition.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2014

Int J Ageing Later Life

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International Journal of Ageing and Later Life is published under the auspices of Linkö ping University Electronic Press. All Authors retain the copyright of their articles. The publishers will keep this document online on the Internet-or its possible replacement-for a considerable time from the date of publication barring exceptional circumstances. The online availability of the document implies a permanent permission for anyone to read, to download, to print out single copies for your own use and to use it unchanged for any non-commercial research and educational purpose. Subsequent transfers of copyright cannot revoke this permission. All other uses of the document are conditional on the consent of the copyright owner. The publisher has taken technical and administrative measures to assure authenticity, security and accessibility. According to intellectual property law the author has the right to be mentioned when his/her work is accessed as described above and to be protected against infringement. For additional information about the Linkö ping University Electronic Press and its procedures for publication and for assurance of document integrity, please refer to its www home page: http://www. ep.liu.se/.

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‘Brightness in dark places’: Theatre as an arena for communicating life with dementia

Cited by 8 publications

References 13 publications

Broadening the debate on creativity and dementia: A critical approach

Broadening the debate on creativity and dementia: A critical approach

The Impact of Creative Arts in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Public Health Education

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