Exploring the subject of caring for people with dementia through creative activities
TICKETS: (01603) 63 00 00 theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
CLOTH OF KINDNESS
With Sally-Anne Lomas Friday 4 May, 10am – 12pm and Friday 25 May, 10am – 12pm Circle Lounge, Norwich Theatre Royal Free, but tickets must be booked. Workshop for people living with dementia and their carer. Low energy, creative sewing circle with an uplifting focus on your thoughts and experiences of kindness, for which the basic skills are easily learnt. A shared activity suitable for those with mild/moderate dementia and their carer/loved one.
CHANGING THE HEARTBEAT
Hosted by Guillaume Pigé, Theatre:Re Tuesday 8 May, 4.30pm – 7.30pm at Stage Two £20 Mime workshop for practitioners exploring physical change and transformation. Following the work of Etienne Decroux, discover how to follow an impulse, and give physical and theatrical form, structure and rhythm to thoughts and emotions. Age 16+
MEMORY, MUSIC AND MAGIC
Hosted by Theatre:Re Wednesday 9 May, 10.30am – 11.30am at Stage Two £5 Workshop for people living with dementia and their carer. A cup of tea, a presentation and an informal conversation for older people, and people living with dementia and their carers. Led by Theatre:Re, this session explores the crucial link between memory and music, and the unlocking of the magic moments in your life.
THE NATURE OF FORGETTING Performance by Theatre:Re Wednesday 9 May, 7.30pm at Norwich Playhouse £14 / £12 concs
A powerful, explosive and joyous piece about what is left when memory is gone. Tom is 55, today. As he dresses for his party, tangled threads of disappearing memories spark him into life, unravelling as a tale of friendship, love and guilt. What follows is a life-affirming journey into Tom’s weakening mind, where broken does not have to mean defeated. Age 12+
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DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY COFFEE MORNING
Friday 11 May, 10.00am – 12pm at Kemp’s Restaurant, Norwich Theatre Royal Drop in, no tickets required. A chance to socialise and talk with people in similar situations in a dementia-inclusive environment. The morning is for people living with mild to moderate dementia, their carer and/or family. In partnership with Age UK Norwich
CREATIVE SKILLS FOR CARERS
Monday 14 May, 11am – 1pm at Stage Two Carer Workshop and Creative Workshop for people with dementia by Spare Tyre (an arts organisation that specialises in working with people with dementia and carers) £20 (carer free) Learn to think creatively about how you care for and communicate with your loved one, focusing on imaginative techniques for non-verbal communication in everyday activities - for carers only. Alongside is a creative workshop for the individual with dementia.
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THE LADY IN THE VAN (Film) Tuesday 15 May, 7.00pm at Stage Two Free, but tickets must be booked
In 1973 London, playwright Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) develops an unlikely friendship with Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith), a homeless woman who lives in a van in his driveway for the next 15 years. 12A
ADAPTING BUSINESS FOR DEMENTIA CONFERENCE
Friday 18 May, 9am – 3pm at Stage Two £10 For local businesses, in partnership with Age UK Norwich Businesses will increasingly encounter dementia through their employees, their employees’ families and their customers. Includes a series of informative and interactive workshops for businesses to adapt and improve policies and procedures.
MINDFUL DRAWING FOR CARERS Monday 21 May, 10am – 12pm at Stage Two £10
Whilst caring for someone with dementia can be rewarding, it can also be challenging. Take time out and join ArtatWork for drawing activities to promote mindfulness, including drawing through touch and mark-making based on emotion. No previous drawing experience required.
A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT
Dementia-friendly performance by Glass House Dance Thursday 24 May, 11am and 2.30pm at Stage Two ÂŁ15 (carer free) Two girls enter an attic looking for a very special box. As they search among the lost props of family history, they discover a little bit of light and a touch of magic. A poignant exploration of remembering and the melancholy sweetness of nostalgia. An enchanting, uplifting and gentle voyage of understanding the importance of things lost and found. Tea and biscuits served afterwards.
MR HOLMES (Film) Saturday 26 May, 6.30pm at Stage Two Free, but tickets must be booked.
Long-retired and near the end of his life, Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) grapples with an unreliable memory and must rely on his housekeeper's son as he revisits the still-unsolved case that led to his retirement. PG
DEMENTIA FRIENDS FAMILY SESSION Tuesday 29 May, 11am – 12 noon at Stage Two Free, but tickets must be booked. Please indicate the age of children attending when booking.
Nearly a third of young people in the UK know someone with dementia. As the number of people living with dementia increases, more and more young people are likely to be affected. By educating people about dementia we can help reduce stigma and increase understanding. Join Age UK Norwich for this session especially created for children and their family. Age 6+
FAMILY CRAFTS AND TALES Wednesday 30 May, 10.30am – 2.30pm at Stage Two Free event, drop in at any time
A creative session aimed at people living with dementia and their families. Activities will include floral crafts, floor games for little ones, and postcard memories connected to Chapelfield Gardens or places you enjoy visiting. Join us for nice cup of tea, a chat and some music. Dementia-friendly.
Performance by Louise Coulthard Thursday 31 May, 2.30pm and 7.30pm at Stage Two £12 / £10 concs Alice and her granddaughter Rosie are a team. They live together. Eat together. Watch Countdown together. Until things start to become ludicrous. Nonsensical. Based on a true story, this heart breaking, savagely funny, award-winning new play about companionship explores the reality of living with dementia.
TALKING LIFE: AN EXHIBITION
By Created Out of Mind Friday 4th – Thursday 31st May at Stage Two Drop in during any of the Creative Matters events This photographic exhibition reveals the diverse and unique experiences of people living with different dementias and aims to challenge people to reconsider their initial assumptions about dementia. The images are part of Talking Life, a series of podcast conversations sharing the personal stories and life observations of people experiencing dementias. Talking Life is led by Susanna Howard for Created Out of Mind, a team based at The Hub at Wellcome Collection, aiming to explore, challenge and shape perceptions and understanding of dementias through science and the creative arts. More at www.createdoutofmind.org
Photographer: Ben Gilbert
COCKAMAMY
MORE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT NORWICH CITY DEMENTIA ACTION ALLIANCE OUR VISION: Norwich will be recognised as a city that understands, welcomes and includes people living with dementia. The campaign is aimed at encouraging local organisations to raise awareness of dementia with their staff, volunteers and customers and making small changes to improve accessibility to products, services or environment for people living with dementia. To get involved contact: Marie Lucas, Dementia Development Lead, Age UK Norwich marie.lucas@ageuknorwich.org.uk 01603 496381
AGE UK NORWICH Dedicated to making later life the best it can be for anyone aged 50 and over. Age UK Norwich offer advice and information on a wide range of matters of concern to older people and their carers, as well as helping people maintain independence and wellbeing in later life. (01603) 496333 www.ageuk.org.uk/norwich enquiries@ageuknorwich.org.uk
ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY Our dementia support workers offer information and practical guidance to help you understand dementia, cope with day-to-day challenges and prepare for the future. They offer information to people who are worried about their memory and give ongoing support to people affected by dementia face to face, over the phone or in writing. Norfolk Dementia Helpline, 01603 763556, Monday-Friday, 09:00-17:00 norfolk@alzheimers.org.uk Charing Cross Centre, 17-19 St. John Maddermarket, Norwich NR2 1DN
DEMENTIA UK Admiral Nurse Team Admiral Nurses provide the specialist dementia support that families need. They work in the community, in care homes, in hospices and hospitals. Central Norfolk Referrals should be made through your local GP. The service is currently available for people with dementia and their family carers who are registered with the GP practices listed at the following link www. dementiauk.org/norfolk-1/
INDEPENDENCE MATTERS We provide a wide range of support services across Norfolk to adults with learning and physical disabilities, young people in transition, older people, and those living with dementia. We are passionate about independence and support people to live purposeful and active lives in the way that is right for them, whether that is through opportunities to work, help to stay living safely in their own home or to be supported and connected to their local community. 0300 790 0508 www.independencematters.org.uk contactus@independencematters.org.uk
NORFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL
Library and Information Service Reading Well books on prescription for dementia Recommends books you might find useful if you have dementia, are caring for someone with dementia, or want to find out more about the condition. The books include information and advice, help after diagnosis, practical support for carers and personal stories. All titles on the Dementia booklist can be reserved free of charge from any Norfolk library. Reminiscence kits are also available to borrow from the library. The kits are designed for working with individuals at various stages of memory loss and those with communication difficulties. www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries-localhistory-and-archives/libraries 0344 800 8020 (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm)
C R E A T I V E M AT T E R S Creative Matters are a series of month long activities focusing on issues which directly affect people of all ages and backgrounds. Each Creative Matters will feature a mix of performances, films, exhibitions, workshops, activities and events which aim to stimulate discussion through creative means. "Creative Matters provides a platform and safe space in the heart of our city for people of all ages to explore and engage with key issues in our world today. I believe passionately in the power of creativity to bring communities of people together."
Stephen Crocker, Chief Executive Norwich Theatre Royal ‘I haven't been that moved in a long while. It was lovely to see from attendees, how real it (depression) is and how it can affect so many walks of life. I knew this already, but found it very comforting for an hour or so, knowing I wasn't alone in real time, rather than reading about people, or watching a documentary about the issue for a change. I could have sat in the theatre for hours.” Audience member from January’s Creative Matters.
Personal Assistants: If you require the support of a carer or companion to access the theatre, let us know when booking. A complimentary ticket is available to Personal Assistants. Terms & conditions apply. Please check with Box Office for further details.