Chelmsford Theatre is delighted to be launching a new reminiscence drama workshop called
A suitcase full of stories for people living with early-on set dementia and we need your help in reaching people living with dementia to participate in this workshop.

This workshop will be held on World Alzheimer Day, the 21st September 2023.

Over the duration of our hour and a half session we will be exploring and sharing memories relating to the theme of summer holidays. The session will run on:

• Thursday 21 September | 10:30 -12pm Chelmsford Studio inside Chelmsford Theatre

The session based on summer holidays is a key life event which most people will have experienced, and which will, we hope, include everyone in the group. The workshop will include triggers to aid memory including sensory stimuli. For example, our seaside themed week may include stimuli such as shells and bucket and spades to hold, sounds of the seaside and ice cream to taste. We plan to store our tactile memory aids in our themed suitcase each which we will open and explore stories of both past and present in relation to this theme. We hope that sharing this theme in advance of our project will also give participants and their carers or loved ones the chance to see what items they have at home in relation to the theme of summer holidays which we encourage them to bring what they have found to the sessions.

We are looking to invite 10 local people living with early-on set dementia alongside up to two carers or family members for each person to participate in the session. We are delighted to be able to offer this project free of charge to participants and their accompanying carer/ family member. Chelmsford Theatre wants to provide the opportunity for those living with dementia in our local community a space to socialise, connect, tell stories and be together on the significant date with it being World Alzheimer’s day.

To book or find out more, contact our Outreach Manager Rachel
outreach.theatre@chelmsford.gov.uk