Professor Justine Schneider, Professor of Mental Health and Social Care, writes about Inside Out of Mind, a ground-breaking theatre production at Lakeside which explores the experience of dementia care:
Inside Out of Mind is an innovative theatre project which has brought together researchers with arts practitioners to tackle the challenge of dementia care. The play brilliantly illustrates the multiple realities of life on a dementia ward, and is an inspiring collaboration between Meeting Ground Theatre Company, Lakeside Arts Centre, The University of Nottingham’s Institute of Mental Health and the NHS.
Inside Out of Mind is based on field notes from months of observation in dementia wards by researchers Simon Bailey, Kezia Scales and Joanne Lloyd. Writer and Director Tanya Myers used the notes as a “seed” to inspire this magical play about the unseen world of dementia care.
The resulting play is a powerful yet non-naturalistic representation of life on a dementia ward from the perspective of the patients, staff and visitors. Touching on profound themes such as identity, loss, relationships, power and death, its aim is to impact positively on the care of people with dementia, to highlight the skills and compassion of basic-grade staff, and to use theatre to engage the audience’s emotions, fostering empathy, while giving pause for reflection and intuitive listening.
The Inside Out Managed Innovation Network members have now been working together for three years. The partnership includes the Meeting Ground Theatre Company, with its long track record of socially-engaged drama, experienced arts consultants and administrators and academics with an interest in the arts and dementia.
Health trusts have bought tickets for the play as an innovative and engaging way to raise the skills and awareness of health care assistants, their basic-grade staff, who figure importantly in the play. Care home staff and home care workers as well as the public are also encouraged to attend.
Visit http://tiny.cc/InsideOut to watch a video on the play was developed.
Inside Out of Mind is at Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park, 14-29 June.
This is an extract from Professor Schneider’s
blog for the British Geriatrics Society
http://tiny.cc/bgsSchneider