Performing in Care Homes has its challenges

As explained in the previous blog, I have been looking at articles online that are relevant to my practice, finding a few interesting ones on the 'care home uk' website. They interview entertainers who share their thoughts, opinions and experiences within care homes. I found the following article particularly striking:

http://www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1561490/performing-in-care-homes-has-its-challenges


   There is no doubt that performing in care homes can be challenging, with heckling becoming a 'regular occurrence' that you have to learn to overcome. Carole Laine explains, 'It is inevitable that sometimes you will get heckled. Some service users cannot control their actions and it becomes like a tourettes twitch'. When I first began working in care homes, I was disheartened by any heckling and it did knock my confidence. However once you have adapted to this very sensitive and different environment, you learn to understand it is not a personal thing and simply have to brush it off. Laine goes on to say 'Sometimes it is a subconscious call for attention and I found if you make an effort to come closer and try to involve them gently then sometimes they calm down'. I do agree that this often works by involving them, yet sometimes it is clear they do not wish to be involved at all, so it is best to simply leave them alone and respect that they do not wish to be a part of the entertainment experience.

    Andy Martin explains that he experiences heckling when performing 1940's WWII songs. Whilst, of course, I get the odd heckle, my 1940's shows tend to be the most well received. Below is an extract of my journal from a 1940's show performance;

  Journal entry July 16


     Today's shows consisted of a 1940s show for a 90th birthday and another 1940s show in the evening.
    The first show was very lively with residents up and dancing to 'Lambeth Walk' and 'Pack up your Troubles in your old kit bag'. Residents responded well to the old wartime classics, knowing all the songs and most of the words to every one which was great as it created a really nice atmosphere to perform in. During 'We'll Meet again' a resident was quite emotional and began to cry whilst singing. After the show I went and spoke to them and they explained it was played at their partners funeral so it had sentimental value to the song, yet they do enjoy listening to it as it brings back fond memories of them. When speaking to residents afterwards, they all said how much they enjoyed listening to the old classics,waving a flag and singing along, bringing back many happy memories. The care home rebooked for another 1940s show in November for Remembrance day.
     The second care home was a little quieter, with many residents asleep when I arrived. A couple of ladies were admiring my costume (1940s navy uniform) and how I did victory rolls in my hair. I find with the 1940s show my hair, makeup and costume has to be exact as it sparks a lot of interest with the residents and gets them reminiscing about their youth and how the fashion and hair was.  Once I began singing, most of the residents woke up and began listening. Whilst they were not up dancing, most were singing along, waving their flag and smiling to every new song that was played. Afterwards I went round to speak to residents, with many commenting on the dancing and how they wish they could still dance and be as energetic. One lady described me as 'A breath of fresh air' whilst another simply said 'Too noisy!'. One gentlemen commented 'Do you do any Elvis, I like Rock and roll' which got a few others chatting about Rock and roll shows. The residency have booked again for a months time to come back and perform a 1950s rock and roll show as she also explained their were some Cliff Richard and Elvis fans.
   Whilst I do think the residents enjoy the 1940s show, I do think it is important to get variety in your performances, to mix things up within different shows particularly if a resident requests a certain style.


  Like Martin says 'I have found that there are increasing numbers of younger residents in the care homes, sheltered housing and day centres. Some of them were not even born when WWII happened so it is not always appropriate to keep bashing out Vera Lynn'. I completely agree that as the residents become younger, the style of music will have to adapt with the generations, but from my own experiences, it is still relevant for most residential homes and always goes down positively.

     Certain songs can arouse emotions for the audience, bringing back memories and creating nostalgia. As mentioned in the article 'We'll Meet Again provokes tears' as it is such a poignant and sentimental song. Yet I do not avoid it when performing my 1940's shows as it is so important to that era, people expect to hear it and on average people smile, singalong and enjoy the song. Like Aimi Percival mentions ' I often get a few tears from songs and in all honesty this is why I make my sets more upbeat than slow. A lot of the time it is the male residents, which in some ways it is harder to experience, but I find a little talk afterwards about their memories or even just an acknowledgement often helps'. I too always ensure I go over and console anyone who may have been emotional. Most of the time they will say it brought back happy memories and they really enjoyed it.  As Brian Shaw says 'Nostalgia is the best way to go'. I agree with his statement 'The dictionary defines it as ‘a sentimental or wistful yearning for the happiness felt in a former place, time or situation.’ I try to recreate that happiness and that is why we all get good feelings when we feel nostalgic… Residents always thank me for bringing back such memories'. I feel this is such an important element of shows in this environment and that plays a huge part in my set list, ensuring I pick well known songs people can relate to.

       Although I agree entertainers in this field have to work hard, I strongly disagree with Laines statement that having 'costume changed regularly will re-stimulate'. Whilst this may work for some performers, I feel going behind a screen mid act to change, breaks the flow of the show, which would counter act the aim of re-stimulating. Not only do I feel the audience would loose interest, it seems to make the act less classy; In a theatre or caberat show it would be a cheap move to change on stage and would almost never happen. I aim to provide a high end service that is theatre standard, so I personally steer clear of costume changes. I do agree with her other parts of having 'choreography to give them something to watch' and not having 'lengthy introductions' to help keep the audiences attention.

    Like the previous article, this one had been extremely beneficial at understanding a little more about this field of entertainment and how other people run their shows and what they feel is successful for them. Any other experiences would be greatly appreciated and would love to maybe create a SIG on this topic.

All quotes taken from www.carehomeuk.co.uk-'Heckling, laughter and tears - performing in care homes has its challenges but care home entertainers wouldn’t have it any other way'
05-Nov-13
Article By: Ellie Neville, Media and Marketing Manager

Remember to Dance!

I have just begun researching the 'Green Candle Company'; a dance company who work in several environments (including care homes). There will be many blogs to follow including my research on this blog, but  wanted to share this video which is featured on their website which shows a project they work on. They do fantastic work and I recommend people check out their website www.greencandledance.com and I cannot wait to research them further. 

Keeping up with the times!

  As part of my practice, I always try to keep up with current affairs within the entertainment industry, particularly within the care and residential settings. 'Care Home U.K.' Often have interesting articles, with this next one being great for my inquiry and helping my own work within this field.

http://www.carehome.co.uk/news/article.cfm/id/1564836/some-performers-perspectives-on

   As I predominantly work alone, it's good for me to read the thoughts and feedback from another performer in this area of work. Whilst I agreed with many points raised in the article, there were points where my own experiences were very different. Nicole Gaskell explains how her 'songs from the 50's, 60's and 70's are especially well received'. From my own experiences working within care homes I find 50's overall is well received and the 60's is often well received (dependent on residents). However the 70's often is not known by the audience so it doesn't go down as well as the other decade shows. Below is an extract from my journal recalling a particular 70's Disco show.

Journal Entry September 2016

    One show today 'Disco Fever' for an elderly rest home. I was quite apprehensive about doing this show as I usually only do this for care homes for younger residents, e.g children's homes, disability homes etc. However they had specifically asked for a 70s show, so I presumed they would be quite lively and up for a dance and sing along.
    When I arrived, I began setting up and played some background music from 'The Jackson Five' and a couple of residents seemed to be interested in what I was going to be doing. Once the show started the first number 'Waterloo' by Abba, the residents were clapping along and seemed to be enjoying themselves, but no singing along. As the show went on, many of the residents were not familiar with the 70s so be so began to switch off a little, with some going to sleep and others seeming to disengage. Whilst I felt they enjoyed the music and dance, the 70s did not really seem to be an era they connected with. I have performed at that care home before doing a 50s rock and roll show and also a Musical style show. Both those shows, residents were singing along to every song, a few getting up to dance and a lot more interaction throughout.


    As these opinions differ so much, i will look into this further, trying to ask other performers in this field their thoughts and past experiences. Perhaps I am using material that may not be as suitable as what other entertainers use.

   Gaskell goes on to say 'Whether its past memories, or the refreshing change of new faces and live entertainment, its always rewarding to know you've put a smile on that person's face' I feel this is the most crucial element of performing in these environments; It is so much more than singing frivolous songs. its providing a service through performance, which can effect people's moral and mood. This is why I chose to perform in these places as it becomes more than singing and dancing and I feel rewarded after each and every show.

The article has also helped me discover some new companies which I can look up research to develop my knowledge and also compare with my own experiences:

* Casagua Ltd Theatre Productions
*Arts on the Move- Alison Chaplin
*Red Sauce

 Look out for more blogs on articles like these.. I would love to hear feedback from any similar topics or issues.


(All quotes taken from carehome.co.uk ''Drama has positive effect on mental health in care homes")
    

A New Term... Getting Started!

After the Summer break, it's time to get back to the grind and start upon my final module of BAPP. I must say whilst I have enjoyed the academic break, I am really looking forward to getting my teeth into this final module, rounding off all my knowledge gained in previous modules, and creating an inquiry.
   After reading through Reader 7 and Module 3 Handbook, I felt the best way to ease myself back in would be a quick mind map of 'How do I get started' getting my ideas together and focusing back in on the task in hand.

 

  Whilst in previous modules we covered literature reviews, I have created a few points of interest to continue to research which may help my own professional inquiry. Using feedback from my tutor from Module 2, I am looking to slightly adapt my inquiry so it is more focused upon the entertainment element and how I can adapt my show programs, rather than the actual health benefits of performance. However these health/performance related articles will be a huge benefit to see what other organisations are in place for care and residential homes, and how they run to benefit the clientele the most.

If anyone knows of any other articles or blogs that are related to performance arts within care settings, I would love to discuss ideas further perhaps developing an online focus group on this topic?

Good luck to everyone else beginning BAPP whatever module you may be starting!