A University Project for Dementia in the UK
A University Project for Dementia in the UK
A University Project for Dementia in the UK
Beamish is a world-famous, award-winning open-air museum that brings the history of North East England to life. Visitors to the museum interact with heritage settings, such as farms, a pit village, a station and towns, meeting costumed characters who help to interpret stories of everyday life in the region from the 1820s to the 1950s, focusing on farming and mining to everyday life in towns and villages.
The Beamish team created a project funded by ENLIVEN to celebrate the connection between nature and art. Entitled Framing It Differently: Mindful Dementia-Friendly Photography Walks. This initiative was one of the flagship arts-based projects supported by the notable photographer Ian Beesley, who was working with a group of participants with dementia through a 10-week programme of learning about photography through workshops inspired by the museum’s unique environment. Participants met weekly with the purpose of experiencing, enjoying and gaining new insights into the natural, rural and industrial heritage of the area. From an organisational perspective, the key objectives of this project were to engender greater awareness within the community of Beamish as a dementia friendly organisation and to enhance understanding within the community of the importance of providing meaningful activities for people living with dementia. Participants developed a close bond with each other and found the sessions to be of real value to their sense of wellbeing.
Visit Beamish, the Living Museum of the North’s website
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