How is Arts 4 Dementia involved?

With more and more social prescribing link workers in GP surgeries and communities, Arts 4 Dementia is keen to raise awareness of the benefits of the arts for people worried about memory loss, going through the process of diagnosis and post-diagnosis. We believe that if GPs refer patients to link workers, who help them and their loved ones to find a weekly arts programme, early in the diagnostic process, then by sharing cultural interests, learning new skills, and feeling part of a community of peers, the shock of diagnosis will be less. As they co-create dance or drama performances, discuss and create art, people with dementia can preserve their identity and enjoy life in the community for longer.

Webinars

Our president, Veronica Franklin Gould, is holding monthly Arts for Brain Health webinars in 2022, in association with Sir Muir Gray, Director of the Optimal Ageing Programme at the University of Oxford.

Experts in culture, health and wellbeing, dementia support, creative ageing and social prescribing, share information and ideas about the vital role of arts and wellbeing activities in protecting against cognitive decline – from the onset of dementia symptoms – with actions for social change.

Read more about upcoming webinars on social prescribing, culture, health and wellbeing, and, and find the recordings and transcripts of previous webinars here.

Training: Early stage dementia awareness training for social prescribers

We provide a half-day, online, interactive awareness training that is designed to support social prescribers. At the end of the session participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate their understanding of the various types of dementia and how these impact on people’s abilities and feelings in the early stages.
• Communicate effectively with people experiencing early stage dementia and describe with confidence the value of arts based approaches, encouraging them to develop new creative skills.
• Explain the impact of Arts 4 Dementia’s re-energising approach for participants.

The training costs £10 which is refundable to all who attend and complete our evaluation form. Contact us on info@arts4dementia.org.uk to find out more.

Social Prescribing Events

Veronica’s first conference to address social prescribing for dementia at the Wellcome Collection in 2019 was followed by 15 regional cross-sector meetings throughout the UK, bringing together leaders in dementia, creative ageing, social prescribing, culture, health and wellbeing, people with lived experience, GPs, memory services and local authorities. Her 2021 conference reviewed by The Lancet Neurology as “extraordinary” (Sept 2021), was followed by her report A.R.T.S. for Brain Health: Social Prescribing transforming the diagnostic narrative for Dementia: From Despair to Desire, which she is following up with expert Arts for Brain Health webinars

We aim to share knowledge, learn together and improve practice around social prescribing and dementia.

You can find the conference programmes, videos, presentations and more on our conference pages:

• 2021: Arts for Brain Health: Social Prescribing as Peri-Diagnostic Practice for Dementia
• 2019: Arts 4 Dementia Best Practice Conference “Towards Social Prescribing (Arts & Heritage) for Dementias”

Find our research reports on our Resources page.