Sunday 8 July 2012

The Winston Churchill Ceremony 2012


Equal Arts Publicity...

Follow = Arts and Dementia Network, June 2012 edition....@
http://www.equalarts.org.uk/pages/news.php

Anne Basting comes to MMU, 10th of July!

Anne Basting who i had the pleasure of meeting whilst in Milwaukee is coming over to England to present at Manchester Metropolitan University and to share her ideas around Creative Ageing!

Book your place through Arts for Health for the 10th of July!
http://artsforhealthmmu.blogspot.co.uk/

Colour Your Life, Arts on Prescription Workshops...

As part of Leisure Works - Colour Your Life, Arts on Prescription, NHS Funding i have been given the opportunity of facilitating workshops in two alternate settings. One will be in an Adult Learning and Special Need Day Centre in Stanley with the other in Hassockfield Secure Unit in County Durham, during August and September. I am excited to get to know these people and inspire creative working and ideas! 

Planning and designing the sessions has begun - so keep posted for updates and photographs from these workshops!

To find out about what else Leisure Works has to offer, click here:
http://www.leisureworksonline.co.uk/lamplightartspages.cfm?cat=176

LWDP Training Course, August 2012

The Lancashire Workforce Development Partnership contacted me to develop a couple of workshops to train care staff in the Lancashire area (mainly Preston) in 'Creative Stimulation Workshops for individuals with Dementia'.

'Enhancing Creativity and Communication through Visual Arts' Training will run for a full day and look at all aspects of Creative Participatory work.

Click below to find out more and how to sign onto this course:
http://www.lwdp.org.uk/page/156/Communication-through-Visual-Arts.htm
Training for the Great North Run is now well underway...and i have met the pilot who will drive me up for the big jump!

Our older generation are pure treasures in which we need to give back to....please dig deep for the Alzheimer's Society at:
http://www.justgiving.com/Claire-Ford6

iPad engAGE Volunteers NEEDED!

I am looking for some students (any level of education) to assist with the facilitation and research development of IPad engAGE.

'IPad engAGE aims to inspire digital inclusion for individuals living with dementia in various care facilities across the North East. The project will pilot various sensory and creative art workshops using the IPads, measuring the levels of engagement
and participation with new technology rather than with traditional techniques. Working One to One and as a group.

I will be working specifically in Dementia Care Settings across the North East and these include:

  • Carers Together in Redcar (10 dates to be arranged between the 6th of August and 7th of September)
  • Kirkley Lodge Day Centre in Coulby Newham (10 dates to be arranged between the 1st of October and 2nd of November)
  • Kirkley Lodge Residential Care Home in Coulby Newham (10 dates to be organised between the 26th of November and 28th of December)
  • York Teaching Hospitals in York (10 dates to be organised between the 21st of January and 22nd of February)
Ideally i am looking for one student per care facility, in which they will assist for 2 days a week over a period of 5 weeks (10 sessions in total) - times and dates for these are TBA.
- Travel Expenses will be paid for along with CRB's.


Feel free to get in touch if you are interested in one of the following settings and would be willing to discuss the project in greater detail at:
claireford88@hotmail.com


Breeze 2012!

Breeze 2012 (A Young Peoples Festival which takes place across Leeds) has now begun! Different to last year, i have introduced some new exciting workshops which will include Sculpture, Mosaic, Finger Puppets and Recycled alongside Felt Jewellery.

Photographs will be updated shortly!
See Website for more Photographs at:
www.bespokeartworkshops.co.uk

Victoria House Care Centre, Middlesbrough...




Recently, we have had some fantastic events take place at Victoria House Care Centre in Middlesbrough - with us even been famous in the Evening Gazette for the Jive Dancing Fun that took place! The Jubilee Party was a big hit with the residents which concluded in lots of eating, dancing, singing and quizzes with entertainment!

However i am not working at Victoria House anymore due to other commitments from other Freelance Projects alongside the funding i received to run iPad engAGE. It was an absolute pleasure to spend quality and a long period of time with the residents, understanding and delving into the world of various stages of the disease, getting to know the residents in depth. I will take this with me in my future endeavors...

The Creative Legacy Project...

The Creative Legacy Project in remembrance of Mary Passman has now concluded after three fun filled workshops at Nunthorpe Hall, which brought three care homes together to share creativity, new stories and laughter.

As these workshops were really successful due to the fact that it engaged different communities of care along with there staff and families we now hope to develop the project further.

After meetings with Teesside University based around developing training for Care Staff and Activity Co-ordinators on Creativity in Care and Activities we have now formulated a bid in hope for future development. If successful this will mean collaborating with the Tees Wide Alliance in training and sharing skills with other Care Homes in the North East, to develop and enhance the creativity of individuals living with Dementia in todays Care Homes.

Storybox, Manchester

I have been co designing and facilitating the Storybox sessions alongside Lowri Evans, a theatrical artist from Manchester in four alternate Day Centres across Manchester for the last two months.
The Day Centres that we were working in where primarily for individuals living with Dementia and who are still living at home, attending the day centres for either respite, additional support or for social reasons. They were situated in both Wythenshawe and Bury with all walks of life, abilities and interests.

I can honestly say that this has to be one of my favourite projects with the endless posibilities of ideas that could be shared through creative cross collaboration...it was amazing working alongside another artist in a different field! (Which i would certainly recommend again). It was certainly a development from my American adventures in which i concluded that all art forms work for individuals living with dementia which should all be incorporated into each workshop. This way everyone can engage in what they feel accessible and of interest to.

The Storybox Project also inspired some truly amazing stories, characters and visuals. The themes we worked around during the project included 'Travelling the World', 'Food', 'At the Mill', 'The Sea' and 'Closing Ceremony and Red Carpet Event'. All of the themes meant that everyone could identify with them with some unforgetable moments.

This is a story written by one of the Day Centres, based on theme of Shopping:

Pinfold Lane Day Centre

On our way to the Shops


That’s Harry’s shop – a Post Office!

It is open from 7am to Midnight

People drop off letters to Pakistan, letters to South Africa, Whitefield and Australia and to a Granddaughter in Mallorca

I am afraid that there is no discount on stamps today!

What are you selling?

At the Post Office, Harry sells Stamps, Booze and Women

I will call again!

How much can you draw out at the Post Office every time you come, as I need 3 million?

Oh don’t worry; I have it here – in the backroom!

At this point, the robbers break in to Harry’s Post Office and steal everything!

Stick em up – it’s a robbery!

Harry say’s - I have been duped!

Don’t take my money – take my wives say’s Harry!

Hit the Alarm!

I never trusted him says Harry’s wife!

I would trip them up with either my hand bag or stick says the customers in the shop at the time of the robbery!



- As you can tell - the Tablo's that supported this story were truly hilarious!

Photographs from the final Storybox Project will be updated in the next week
 - KEEP POSTED!!


Please see the link below for additional information on the Storybox Project:
http://www.librarytheatre.com/project/storybox

Devising Psychosis Completed Blog...

The Devising Psychosis Blog is now completed which documents the creative journey from beginning to end using theatre.

Click on the link below:
http://devisingpsychosisjourney.blogspot.com/ 

Kidz Konnekt finalised Posters..


The Posters above were designed by the 'Girls Only' Group which takes place on a Thurday night in Southbank weekly. The workshops that i facilitated were based on typography and printing which resulted in the final design.

The event/s take place on the 26th of July....

Dementia and other Community Projects...

I will be using this blog now to document all of the projects that i  have been developing and facilitating with a new blog on its way just for iPad engAGE (a project based on Digital Inclusion for Individuals living with Dementia).

Winston Churchill Newsletter 2012 / Joining Committee

An article that i wrote on behalf of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has recently been published in this years newsletter which is an absolute honour...feel free to get in touch if you would like to read this in detail..

Yesterday was my first official meeting on the East Pennine Association of Fellows Committee. It was very interesting and great to be on the panel for decisions on raising the profile of the North East and Yorkshire!

East Pennine Churchill Association Presentation




I had the fantastic opportunity of sharing my Winston Churchill Findings with other North East and Yorkshire Fellows through which i facilitated an interactive presentation. It took place at the Annual General Meeting at the Northern School of Ballet. It was great fun and the responses of the creative activity were really interesting and stimulating....

And believe it or not, i even networked and met the pilot who will be flying the plane when i jump out for the Parachute Jump on behalf of the Alzheimer's Society!
A very very Small world...two fellows in just one plane.

(Please see blog for link to 'JustGiving Page').

Apologies for delays in Blogging!

Big apologies for the slow updates to my 'Enriching Life with Creative Expression' Blog over the last month. Life has been very hectic with workshops and various projects in five different cities across the UK. However i am now on top of it all with iPad engAGE soon to begin and will be back to Blogging regularly....!!