After being caught up in a snow storm, I finally made it to Milwaukee where I met Joan Williamson, the Training Coordinator and Master Trainer of TimeSlips Firstly. I have to say how much I enjoyed Milwaukee as a location. On top of being a charming and cultural city, I found it to be an... Continue Reading →

During my stay in Ohio, I had the chance to join a postgraduate gerontology class on a field trip to Otterbein Senior Living, AKA the ‘small houses’. The concept emerged from a movement to deinstitutionalise nursing homes by providing a more personalised environment in the form of small, self-contained homes for 10-14 people. All levels... Continue Reading →

On the 18th and 19th of April, I visited the two sites of St Ann Centre for Intergenerational Care in Milwaukee. These unique day centres - where adults and children of all ages, abilities and backgrounds get to interact thanks to a vibrant programme of creative activities - were unlike anything I’ve seen before. The... Continue Reading →

After two intensive weeks observing OMA sessions, working directly with artists living with dementia and taking various Gerontology classes at Miami University, I thought that this would be a good time to reflect on my learnings. What is OMA? OMA was created in 2007 by Dr Elizabeth "Like" Lokon, who combined her undergraduate education in... Continue Reading →

I spent my first week in NYC as a trainee at The Creative Center Training Institute for Artists and Administrators at the University Settlement. The week was packed full of field trips, amazing workshops, and presentations from some of the US leaders in the field of creative aging. The programme was run by the inspirational... Continue Reading →

I spent my first morning in NYC participating in a poetry workshop led by Gary Glazner, the founder and Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project, (APP). The session took place at the New York Memory Centre in Brooklyn and included the participation of over 30 older adults, at various stages of dementia. The workshop was... Continue Reading →

Tomorrow starts my American adventure, as I have been awarded an AHRC grant to spend a month exploring innovative practices in the field of Arts & Dementia in the USA. The journey will start in NYC, observing poetry workshops led by Gary Glazner and training at the Creative Center Training Institute for Artists and Administrators. I will... Continue Reading →

I officially became a Certified TimeSlips Facilitator this month and feel very lucky to have been able to attend this training led by the wonderful Joan Williamson. Joan came all the way from the US to deliver this first ever 'in-person' programme to the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. It was just an inspirational and fantastic... Continue Reading →

On the 18th February, I arranged for the talented performers of The Pole Dance Factory to come and perform a 30 minute show at Fairmile Grange. Little did I know that this small and private showcase would turn into a national debate... Imagine my surprise when, in the middle of a lecture on literature review,... Continue Reading →

From May-June 2017, together with Scout Leader Lisa, I facilitated an intergenerational project between the residents of Fairmile Grange and the Christchurch Air Scout Group. The aim was to give residents and children the opportunity to share, exchange and learn from each other through creative activities. This project was inspired by my experience of working for... Continue Reading →