Community Integrated Care host “Creativity and Culture in Dementia Care” at Tate Liverpool

This week Community Integrated Care hosted a prestigious event at Tate Liverpool highlighting the charity’s thriving examples of utilising arts, sports and community engagement to promote the health and happiness of people living with dementia. 

The event, which is part of “The Art of Social Mobility Week” curated by Open Eye Gallery, saw a host of inspirational speakers take to the stage, commenting on the positive effect of embedding arts and sports in the care sector. The special, one off, full day event took place in the Tate Exchange with people attending for multiple sessions throughout the day.  

The informative talks were kicked off by our North West Regional Manager Paula Dodman and Wigan Extra Care Manager Andrea Lyon taking to the stage to highlight the positive impact of our partnerships with local sports clubs were having on the people we support. Paula highlighted the need to turn sporting stadiums into community anchors, combatting social isolation and ensuring people who live in our services lead great lives.  

James Rule, CEO of Widnes Vikings, echoed Paula’s comments of fostering the relationships between sporting organisations and charities. James showcased the award-winning partnership between Community Integrated Care and Widnes Vikings which has helped tackled loneliness and isolation in both home and care settings. 

Phil Benson, Manager of our EachStep Blackburn service, also took to the stage to share his leading models for community engagement in care. Phil, who has been previously named Dementia Care Home Manger of the Year, shared his insights on how care homes can bring communities together. He explained his own experience of the opening of EachStep Blackburn, which is rated Outstanding by CQC, and how they made the care home the most connected in Britain by fostering relationships with community groups and local shops.

Rebecca Blackwood, CEO of Age Exchange – the national pioneers of arts and reminiscence in dementia care, also spoke at the event. Rebecca spoke passionately about the positive effect creativity has on people who are living with dementia, commenting on how the reminiscence artists who work for Age Exchange are like detectives, discovering who someone really is whilst living with the disease.

Rebecca commented on the success of the event saying, “It’s been a fascinating day collaborating with people who run housing organisations, people from the local authority and also with activity coordinators in care homes about how we can really improve the lives of people living with dementia.”

A range of interactive workshops also took place throughout the day, with guests encouraged to take part in a reminisce session. The session, which was ran by artist Zoe Gilmour, who works with our partner charity Age Exchange, saw guests communicate with each other over different reminiscence objects.