Introduction. Part I: Why the Arts? 1. What is Creativity? 2. What the Arts Can Do. 3. Getting in the Flow. Part II: What's on Offer. 4. The Food of Love: The Language of Music. 5. Moving in the Moment: Dance. 6. Giving Voice: Writing Poetry. 7. Making it all up: Improvisation and Other Dramas. 8. Telling Stories. 9. Conversations in Paint. 10. Playing with Mud: Ceramics and Clay. 11. Working with the Hard Stuff: Wood, Metal and Glass. 12. Textured Journeys: Exploring the Potential of Textiles. 13. Between Memory and Imagination: Collage and Life-Story Work. 14. Further than the Eye can See: Photography. 15. Putting the IT into Creativity. 16. Space and Place. 17. Taking it all in: Audience Involvement. Part III: Making Things Happen. 18. Getting Real. 19. Starting Out. 20. Drilling Down to the Detail. 21. Giving Creativity a Shape. 22. Measuring Success. 23. Making Space for your own Creativity. Part IV: Living it Out. 24. All Together: The Arts as Identity. 25. Beyond Grass. 26. Two Residencies. 27. Putting on the Ritz. 28. Ian and Me-ness. 29. Alan: Quick-change Artist. 30. Painting with Olivia. Conclusion. Further Reading. Index.
Exploring how creativity can be crucial in maintaining communication in dementia care; including suggestions for a range of settings, and covering all the practical considerations
John Killick has 16 years' experience of direct work with people with dementia in nursing homes, day centres, hospital wards, and in people's own homes. His pioneering poetry work is well-known internationally, but he has also explored the possibilities of using a variety of other art-forms to enhance communication. He has lectured, written, broadcasted and run training sessions in a variety of countries and is passionately committed to increasing opportunities for people with the condition everywhere to take part in creative activities. John is currently Writer in Residence for Alzheimer Scotland and runs an improvised drama project for Scottish Dementia Working Group. Claire Craig is a qualified occupational therapist living in Yorkshire. The main focus of her work is the relationship between creativity and well-being, particularly in relation to people with dementia. She currently holds the ROMPA quality of Life Award for research focusing on creativity and spirituality in care homes and she gained the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre Learning & Teaching Award in 2010 in recognition for her innovative approaches to education. Claire works as a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in the Art and Design Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.
Killick and Craig must be applauded for their truly inspirational
practical guide on Creativity and Communication in Persons with
Dementia. This book is a true celebration of the power of the arts
for people living with dementia and is drawn on the authors' own
experiences and wisdom.
*Ageing and Society*
Killick and Craig must be applauded for their truly inspirational
practical guide on Creativity and Communication in Persons with
Dementia. This book is a true celebration of the power of the arts
for people living with dementia and is drawn on the authors' own
experiences and wisdom. Killick and Craig assert that whilst there
has been significant financial investment in biomedical research,
the care of people living with dementia has been notably
overlooked, to the detriment of wellbeing and affirmation of
identity and self-esteem. This book attempts to redress this
imbalance and is aimed at anyone (with any level of artistic
talent!) with an interest in working alongside people living with
dementia in a creative capacity, be they practitioners, volunteers,
family members or researchers.
*Journal of Ageing & Society*
It is refreshing to have a book written where the outlook is of
dementia having few barriers of boundaries on creativity... I find
this book an inspirational read; it presents a wealth of ideas,
suggestions, guidance and experience in the field of creativity and
dementia. Most importantly it demonstrates how persons with
dementia and those around them can gain from engaging in creativity
activity.
*Signpost*
Whatever John Killick writes concerning dementia is eminently worth
reading, perhaps even more so when he co-authors a book with
another expert in the field... The present publication (...) will
be invaluable for activities organisers in care homes and
community-based projects, and of considerable interest to anyone
caring for a person with dementia... The book is both insightful
and practical
*Plus - Christian Council on Ageing*
We can be sure that any book with John Killlick as author or
co-author is going to be good. Not just good but inspirational.
Killick sparks the creativity in all of us and care homes can be
such lively places with people exploring a wide variety of creative
activities: music, dance, poetry, drama, storytelling, painting,
ceramics, sculpture, textiles, photography. All of these and others
are offered by the authors. Just wonderful stuff: exciting,
imaginative, and practical.
*Caring Times*
This charming, erudite book presents a wealth of experience about
the arts and dementia in a readable and helpful form. The two
authors are acknowledged experts with long experience of using a
wide range of arts in this field. The book is therefore well
grounded in practice and full of inspirational stories. It is also
a treasure trove of ideas, suggestions and helpful guidance.
*Mary Marshall, Professor Emeritus, University of Stirling*
This book left me speechless. For years, after being diagnosed with
dementia, I moaned that not enough attention is paid to creativity
in dementia. Little did I know, a work was in progress. As said
inside, it is not meant to be comprehensive, but it covers a lot of
ground. I couldn't put it down. You won't either.
*James Mckillop MBE, founding member of the Scottish Dementia
Working Group*
John and Claire's timely book shows why being engaged and
entertained by singing, looking at paintings, taking photographs,
dancing and other activities offers a bridge to joy, satisfaction
and self identity for people with dementia. Brimming with ideas,
research, reflection, and practice examples and woven throughout
with comments and observations of people with dementia, it's an
inspiring, effortless read not only for a wide range of health and
social care practitioners, but, importantly, for artists and
performers, whose work can help those experiencing a crisis of
self, reconnect with life and living.
*Maria Parsons, Director, ARTZ UK: Artists for Alzheimers*
This book is like the most colourful toolbox, crammed with a rich
variety of materials begging to be used. John and Claire describe a
magnificent mix of creative ideas, helpful insights and beautiful
personal accounts from their experiences of working creatively with
people living with dementia. Their enthusiasm is infectious; anyone
who reads this will be inspired and excited to employ the creative
strategies within. The book is about relationships; it is about
developing sensitivities to be empathic, creative, opportunistic
and communicative with people who have dementia and above all it is
intensely human. John and Claire bring extraordinary clarity to the
ways that they both work with people showing us how to gently gain
empathy, use creative media and act as instruments to make tangible
other people's words, meanings and feelings. The book will bring
insight and inspiration to readers from any background. It will be
a valuable tool to me in my continuing practice and I urge you to
join me in taking John and Claire's advice, to let go of our
assumptions of what we think we can achieve and to throw ourselves
into these wonderful ideas.
*Dr Jayne Wallace, Senior Lecturer, School of Design, Northumbria
University*
For practitioners convinced of the value of creative activity, this
book will be a valuable resource. The authors offer many
thought-provoking accounts and personal insights.
*Nursing Standard*
There are currently many books available on communication with
people experiencing dementia. This one is distinctly different,
both in its approach and how it links creative thought and
activities into the whole process of communication. More
importantly it delivers what it say on the tin - it is 'A practical
guide'. The essence of this book is not the various techniques and
equipment (though these are described with admirable clarity) but
how creativity and communication are fundamental to the human
spirit. This book would benefit anyone working with or caring for
individuals experiencing dementia, including informal carers. For
health or social care professionals to whom the practical use of
creativity to enhance communication is relatively new, this is a
motivating and inspirational book.
*The Journal of Dementia Care*
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