iPad engAGE goes to the 'Art of Good Health and Well-being' Conference in Sydney, Australia

During November i have had the fantastic opportunity of attending and facilitating iPad engAGE workshops at the 'Art of Good Health and Well-being' Conference in Sydney, Australia. 

We started off with a Critical Mass meeting held by Mike White from Durham, discussing collaboration in a wider context. It really got everyone debating and sharing ideas of how to take this forward so the 'Arts and Health' worlds could collaborate effectively. (The group from Critical Mass is shown in the snap above!)

The conference then began on the Tuesday - full of presentations, workshops, choirs, hospital clowns - finishing the conference with a communal dance piece!! It was a great experience and i found out about international Projects and Research that are ongoing across the world. 

The iPad engAGE workshops worked well and even got to collaborate with Simone Flavelle from DADAA on the stARTspeak project (using iPads creatively for individuals with learning disabilities). This was a huge learning point for me as it opened up the possibility of iPad engAGE and who it is focussed at.

I look forward to seeing which collaborations and discussions evolve as a result from this fabulous conference!!

Creative Care, A Helix Arts Project

As part of the Helix Arts Project - 'Creative Care' two artists were appointed for different sections of time. This meant that i could co-collaborate with Claire Webster-Saaremets and come up with themes for the workshops with separate outcomes - both Visual Arts and Music / Theatre. 

One of the themes was 'Weather' with some of the Visual Outcomes shown above. With Creative Care been a Pilot Project we are now looking into ways of how the outcomes can become ONE as a final piece...watch this space for developments... 

A few more from the 'Painting Memories' Project

I thought i would share a few more snaps from the 'Painting Memories' Project which were taken by RT Projects. I think they really sum up the importance of the Arts and how the workshops have been beneficial for carers to communicate effectively with their loved ones who have Dementia. 
The 'Painting Memories' Project has now come to an end at Melbury Court but i will be started in a new Residential Care Home come January - so keep posted to find out more about their Creative Journey!