Sound recording was awesome - residents could not believe they heard themselves! We are supporting individuals living with dementia - anything that motivates their thinking and memory - and reminiscing.
Inside Out: Creative connection during the pandemic
Connecting care professionals inside care homes with artists outside during the pandemic – in Leytonstone, Walthamstow and Chingford
Developing a new care home project
Inside Out was Magic Me’s response to the isolation of 2020-21. We began with the questions: “How can we create activities and events that can be carried out in a Covid-19 safe way, that bring variety and connection to [care home] residents’ lives?” and “How can we create a sense of occasion across units, whilst taking care to include residents who prefer to stay in their room?” and “How can we create group euphoria? How can we feel closeness with social distancing?”
Collaboration is the answer
Answers came from artists and care home staff, who experimented with and refined a range of flexible activities for residents including mobile reminiscence scrapbooks, interactive photo booths, a carnival-inspired arts trolley, communal playlists and memory recording, garden flower pressing, and a bun-tasting activity connected to local bakeries.
Artists for this project were Magic Me Associates Georgia and Chuck plus Ishwari Bhalerao & Leonie Rousham (Kneed) and Paula Varjack.
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For me it’s brought out something I didn’t know I could do. I’m confident to do anything and I found it very enjoyable to do. Have been given the tools to do that job, by Magic Me.
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Finding it good! A lot of people and everybody feels included and it's easy and relaxing!
Inside Out and its impact
Unanimous feedback from all participating care professionals was that Inside Out activity supported them to get to know residents better through more 1:1 time. This included residents that they had no prior information about (such as those living with dementia with no family contacts). These 1:1 connections meant that they discovered more about residents’ interests, likes, and dislikes – leading to more personalised and meaningful care and conversation.
Inside Out‘s legacy is Spark: everything we learned about fostering good working relationships between artists and care home staff is now reflected in our current care home programme, Spark.
Inside Out was a 2020-21 project, developed and supported through local authority contracts and Trusts & Foundation funding. Learn more about how to support our work here.