Older women centre stage

A society where older people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives because they participate in artistic, creative and physical activities. This is the vision of Moving Memory Dance Theatre Company and its Creative Director, Sian Stevenson of the University’s School of Arts.

The company’s high quality performance making projects emphasise collaboration, co-authorship, exploring and animating autobiographical stories of the everyday through movement, music and digital forms. Evaluation has confirmed that the Moving Well approach helps older people to take more regular physical exercise, find personal satisfaction and fulfilment, increases their selfconfidence and become more engaged with their community , and, consequently, it makes a significant contribution to improving older peoples’ health and wellbeing. This distinctive artistic approach is now extending into care home settings.

A unique feature of Moving Memory’s work is the use of digital technology. Generous funding from the Nominet Trust and The Baring Foundation enabled the creation of Doris – a new digital tool of Resolume (real-time, improvised digital video and effects) which projects images, some preplanned, some abstract, some directional and some added in response to the specific context to transforms spaces, especially changing familiar environments such as care settings. This bespoke kit, supported by an accompanying online and offline training programme for people who want to run their own, means more people can access Moving Well workshops. Further iterations of the project are ongoing in mixed gender intergenerational workshops and also groups with mental health problems.

You’re putting your ideas in, then other people are going with it and it just feels different to standing behind someone and copying them – which is what most dance classes are now.