Finding yourself in the arts!

  As the research into my inquiry progresses, I find many articles and writings that I can completely relate to, not only from my professional perspective, but often on a personal level. This statement from the 2009 Baring foundation article I feel goes so much further than entertainment for the elderly but an insight into many lives and how the arts can effect them;

   'Participation in the arts has many benefits, the intrinsic value of creative expression, the affirmation of ones sense of self and the process of acquiring and developing skills which sometimes provides a livelihood'.

   I found myself thinking through my day to day life, away from my profession in the arts, and just how much we incorporate the arts without realising. What would your life be without music? Without being able to enjoy a concert, or a show, be it live or on tv? How would you react if you realised you could never dance again? Or sing in the shower? We take these things for granted, yet without them our lives would simply not be the same. It is also a huge part of our social lives, attending plays or shows with friends, dancing with a partner at an event, singing along at a karaoke... imagine those social activities no longer taking place in your life and how that would effect your sense of self. This can often be the case within care homes that do not incorporate the arts of any form into their schedules, with residents having no form of entertainment or creative activity besides watching a television. Particularly those with dementia as 'for many people with dementia, diminishing confidence in communication and cognitive skills commonly result in withdrawal from usual social activities (De Haan 2016), they therefore they loose a big part of their lives and involvement with others.
    However involving people in performance arts, be in live music they can sing along to, dance or movement workshops or other forms of arts activities, it brings people together into the same space, focusing on the same thing. This then encourages social interaction, creative expression and the chance to reform a major part or what was a 'normal life' before being in a care home. It is sometimes misjudged as a simple way to pass an hour or so for the residents yet it can give an 'opportunity for the subjects to be involved in social activities and reinforce(d) positive emotions towards relatives, friends and carers'(Sixsmith 2007).


   I personally could never imagine a life without the arts... Could you?


Quotes taken from-
'An Evidence review on the impact of participatory arts on older people'pg 31 Sixsmith (2007)
'Green Candle Remember to Dance 'pg 8 (De Haan 2016)
'Green Candle Remember to dance', pg 10, The Baring Foudntion (2009)pg 21, Cutler, D. (2009) Ageing Artfully: Older People and Professional Participatory Arts in the UK. Baring Foundation