Hello,
I wanted to share some recent experiences with you from my work in Community & Care Settings, as a Creative Writing and Poetry Reading Facilitator. I hope you find it helpful. There is a downloadable resource pack in this blog post too.
On 24 September 2019, I was invited to facilitate a Read Aloud Poetry Session, to demonstrate how Care Settings can run these sessions for people living with dementia.
The session was part of the Creative Arts & Dementia Developing Best Practice Conference at the MAC Birmingham. This was the first conference of its kind and the first National Day of the Arts in Care Homes was organised to coincide with this, so it was an exciting day! #ArtsinCareHomes
The conference was a partnership with Creative Dementia Arts Network (Maria Parsons) & the Journal of Dementia Care. Thanks Maria Parsons for having faith in me. The session went well, with 30 participants. We shared our experiences of working in the sector and discussed how poetry and a range of resource material can be used to engage participants, both one to one and in a group.
. 
I have been working closely with Alison Teader at NAPA to deliver a series of Creative Writing and poetry reading sessions for staff teams in Care Homes across the UK, in the months leading up to 24 September. The training and resources fed into our Only Connect resource pack, which was also launched at the conference.
As you can read in the ‘Background to the project,’ this all started with a conversation Alison and I had last year with a resident in a Care Home. The resident told us how she loved receiving the beautiful cards that her sister posted to her, as they were too frail to visit each other. She had asked a carer at the residential home if she could help her write a reply to her sister, as arthritis in her hands made it too painful. The carer replied that it was not in her job description. We returned with a card and Alison acted as scribe for the resident, we then posted the card to her sister.
Alison and I were really troubled by this story and wanted to try to avoid this happening again. We decided to offer a series of training sessions in Care Homes, so that staff at all levels would feel comfortable and confident helping their residents. We are delighted that after sessions in London, Bournemouth, Ascot and Guildford – beautiful cards, postcards, poems, art work and letters are being posted across the country! They are being written in different languages and new friendships have been formed. It has also given relatives who visit the homes and the residents, a new way of communicating with each other.
We took inspiration from nature & cityscapes, from artists such as Van Gogh, poets including Christina Rossetti and encouraged people to have fun!
The Only Connect Resource Pack is now available to download here. Enjoy: https://artsincarehomes.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/onlyconnectresourcepack.pdf
The whole project has been an absolute pleasure! We are hoping to offer further training – watch this space and if you work in a Care Setting and think your organisation would be interested in training, please let us know.
Meanwhile, over at Creative Writes, the workshops continuing to go well.
We have our Space to Write & Words and Wine Workshops in Muswell Hill, N10. The next Space to Write is on Wednesday 2 October 2019, 7.30pm, N10. Words & Wine returns on Thursday 24 October 2019, 8pm, N10. Links are below:
https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/space-write-wednesdays/
I return to Richmond Theatre this Tuesday morning (1 October 2019), with a new term of 8 Creative Writing Workshops. Booking via ATG/Richmond Theatre. If you wish to join us later in the term, please contact the theatre. Link here:
I hope you have enjoyed reading, bye for now!
Nichola x