My first draft of my critical review is complete! I have mixed feelings, of relief the content is down on file and hopefully now it will just be tweeting and adapting rather than a full rewrite (fingers crossed), of worry for my feedback, and apprehension of beginning looking at my professional artefact.
I have enjoyed the process of looking for sources from different journals, YouTube and websites, feeling a great sense of progress within my practice as I have been able to take advice and knowledge from them to adapt my work. It is surprising once you begin to search, just how much content is out there for you to analyse and draw conclusions from. This has actually ended up being a small issue as, because I avefound so many useful resources, it has been difficult to condense into the 2500 word count. I have gone over this count as I felt getting in content was important for the first draft, as it's easier to condense existing work than having to add more on, which would mean more research, analysis and evaluation.
Now the wait..... For feedback,
Blogs will follow as I continue my final part of my BAPP journey
Friday, 2 December 2016
Wednesday, 9 November 2016
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
Friday, 14 October 2016
Using props within performances
Continuing my research for my inquiry, I have come across many interesting papers and articles on performance arts within care homes. In 'Remember to Dance'(Vella-Burrows, Wilson 2016) they talk about the use of props in their dance sessions;
'A growing body of evidence has examined the benefits of props to stimulate sensory integration, interaction and self expression. Dance movement therapist Patricia de Tord observes that variety of props can be used to support participants co-ordination, creative impulses and imagination'
This got me thinking of my performance and the different shows I do. For some shows I use props and others I do not. For example in my 1940s shows, I give each resident a Union Jack flag to wave during the show. I feel this does encourage the. to participate more, as they feel a part of the whole thing, becoming involved rather than being outside observers. It often gets people feeling patriotic so gather a sense of pride for their country and the songs that were so relevant during a time the country was at war. This supports the idea of improving social integration and interaction, as I always find this show most people sing along, dance (if they are able) and wave their flags throughout.
One other example of this is during my Christmas festive shows, I give each resident a party prop e.g a tinsel scarf, santa hat, reindeer antlers etc. This appears to get them more into the party spirit, with the props being a focal point for interaction with others. Some props, the reindeer antlers for example, are very comical, so it usually strikes up laughter and conversation between residents,even ones that do not usually interact. The props also add a sense of occasion to the shows which I feel has a positive effect on the residents participation.
Moving forward as a professional I feel I should look into my other shows and see what props I could perhaps incorporate and how that would benefit the way in which the audience received the performance.
Quotes taken from- Remember to Dance
Evaluating the impact of dance activities for people in different stages of dementia
Trish Vella-Burrows and Lian Wilson
De Tord, P. and Braununger, I. (2015) Grounding: Theoretical application and practice in dance and movement therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 43. DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2015.02.001
'A growing body of evidence has examined the benefits of props to stimulate sensory integration, interaction and self expression. Dance movement therapist Patricia de Tord observes that variety of props can be used to support participants co-ordination, creative impulses and imagination'
This got me thinking of my performance and the different shows I do. For some shows I use props and others I do not. For example in my 1940s shows, I give each resident a Union Jack flag to wave during the show. I feel this does encourage the. to participate more, as they feel a part of the whole thing, becoming involved rather than being outside observers. It often gets people feeling patriotic so gather a sense of pride for their country and the songs that were so relevant during a time the country was at war. This supports the idea of improving social integration and interaction, as I always find this show most people sing along, dance (if they are able) and wave their flags throughout.
One other example of this is during my Christmas festive shows, I give each resident a party prop e.g a tinsel scarf, santa hat, reindeer antlers etc. This appears to get them more into the party spirit, with the props being a focal point for interaction with others. Some props, the reindeer antlers for example, are very comical, so it usually strikes up laughter and conversation between residents,even ones that do not usually interact. The props also add a sense of occasion to the shows which I feel has a positive effect on the residents participation.
Moving forward as a professional I feel I should look into my other shows and see what props I could perhaps incorporate and how that would benefit the way in which the audience received the performance.
Quotes taken from- Remember to Dance
Evaluating the impact of dance activities for people in different stages of dementia
Trish Vella-Burrows and Lian Wilson
De Tord, P. and Braununger, I. (2015) Grounding: Theoretical application and practice in dance and movement therapy. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 43. DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2015.02.001
Friday, 7 October 2016
Themed workshops within care homes.
Continuing my research on the Hearts and Mind project, they talk about their case studies, in which they go into care settings and conduct reminiscence arts workshops. These workshops include, dance, drama, singing and other creative arts. They explain how 'Most workshops were organised around a theme that was designed to prompt reminiscence and memories' and one theme was 'Summer holidays'. This immediately cast my mind back to a Summer themed show I did this year at a particular home. Previously I have talked about the importance of carer involvement and how the activities coordinators can really make or break an atmosphere for a show. When I arrived, they had completely transformed the downstairs of the home into a holiday camp seaside resort. Everything was decorated with bunting and seaside shop signs, all the staff were dressed as Butlins 'red coats', they were making fresh donuts and even had a candy floss stand. The residents were also wearing sun hats, sunglasses etc and it really was like stepping into a seaside town. Of course this created an extremely positive atmosphere from the get go as everyone was in 'holiday mood'.
My Summer show has all classic seaside songs such as 'I do like to be beside the seaside', 'Summer Holiday', 'My little stick of Blackpool Rock' and many more. Because these are such well known Summer songs, everybody was singing along and dancing, evoking memories from their own holidays in the past. With the help of the staff, residents were all involved, either singing, dancing and even throwing around a beach ball! When speaking to the residents afterwards they were sharing their own stories and the whole moral of the room was so positive.
Creating a reminiscent environment, I feel is so beneficial to these sessions, and it is shown through the residents participation and helping them relive past memories. I would love to see in the future, staff becoming more involved in activities, as the benefits are so clear to see in developing a greater living experience for residents in care homes.
Quotes taken from- 'Summative Evaluation of Hearts and Minds. A Three Year programme by Age Exchange Theatre Trust.' Royal Holloway University of London, Professor Helen Nichilson- pg 46.
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Getting the most from the arts
Whilst researching articles for my literature review I came across a very interesting statement, which I feel directly affects my work on a daily basis.
The 'Hearts and Mind' organisation ran a three year programme with 'Age Exchange Theatre Trust', writing up an evaluative report on this in between 2011-2013. They ran performance workshops in care and residential settings throughout those years and reported their findings. One recommendation they stated was, 'Age Exchange's creative practice and ability to influence the culture of care is restricted by a lack of management involvement, regulations in care settings and some inflexibility in the model of workshops' (Nicholson, 2013). I find this extremely true within many residential homes I perform in; factors such as funding cuts, restricts how often they can hire outside entertainment, lack of staff involvement plays a significant part in how much the residents become involved themselves. Also time restrictions, often due to set meal times, the only convenient time for shows are 2pm, so naturally these slots are always very busy so it is difficult for homes to book in the times and dates they desire.
Below are two extracts from journals, comparing two shows; one where I was left alone with the residents with no involve met from staff, and one experience which was completely the opposite.
Quote taken from: 'Summative Evaluation of Hearts and minds, A Three Year Programme by Age Exchange Theatre Trust, Royal Holloway University of London, Professor Helen Nicholson, 2013, pg 8)
Journal extract- May 2016
First show of the day was a 'Musical madness' show. My first visit to the residency, I was shown to the dining room where the residents had just finished breakfast so were still sat around tables, facing various directions of the room. I set up as instructed in the corner of the room, assuming the residents would be gathered around the area and turned around from the breakfast table. However I was soon enough left alone in the room without careers or staff and none of the residents were moved around to face the performance. Of course I cannot handle anyone so could not move them myself, so had to adapt my performance to move around the room so they could see me at some point.
Although the residents appeared to enjoy the show, and said they did afterwards, I felt most of them could not get a full experience due to being all over then room. Something so simple as moving everybody so they are in clear focus can have such an effect on an experience. They were not fully engaged as they had restricted view and therefore could get distracted or loose attention quickly.
Journal extract- February 2016
I arrived around 15 minutes early to set up, and the residents were already sat waiting listening to a 'Frank Sinatra' cd, which tied in well because I was performing a Swing style show. The activities co ordinator was handing out drinks to the residents and some snacks. There were three other care staff in the room tending to various residents as they were settling down for the show. Once the show started the residents began to sing along, with the careers and co ordinator going round to residents encouraging to sing and dance in their chairs. During the song 'Can't Take my Eyes off of you' they got several residents up to dance and then a few more got up on their own accord. This spurred the other residents to clap along to the song. This positive atmosphere was kept up the. For the rest of the performance wit various people getting up to dance throughout and everyone was singing along and clapping.
The two performance were so different from a little participation from the staff. I feel this is such an important part of performances as the residents know and trust the carers so are much more likely to let go and get more involved with their encouragement.
The 'Hearts and Mind' organisation ran a three year programme with 'Age Exchange Theatre Trust', writing up an evaluative report on this in between 2011-2013. They ran performance workshops in care and residential settings throughout those years and reported their findings. One recommendation they stated was, 'Age Exchange's creative practice and ability to influence the culture of care is restricted by a lack of management involvement, regulations in care settings and some inflexibility in the model of workshops' (Nicholson, 2013). I find this extremely true within many residential homes I perform in; factors such as funding cuts, restricts how often they can hire outside entertainment, lack of staff involvement plays a significant part in how much the residents become involved themselves. Also time restrictions, often due to set meal times, the only convenient time for shows are 2pm, so naturally these slots are always very busy so it is difficult for homes to book in the times and dates they desire.
Below are two extracts from journals, comparing two shows; one where I was left alone with the residents with no involve met from staff, and one experience which was completely the opposite.
Quote taken from: 'Summative Evaluation of Hearts and minds, A Three Year Programme by Age Exchange Theatre Trust, Royal Holloway University of London, Professor Helen Nicholson, 2013, pg 8)
Journal extract- May 2016
First show of the day was a 'Musical madness' show. My first visit to the residency, I was shown to the dining room where the residents had just finished breakfast so were still sat around tables, facing various directions of the room. I set up as instructed in the corner of the room, assuming the residents would be gathered around the area and turned around from the breakfast table. However I was soon enough left alone in the room without careers or staff and none of the residents were moved around to face the performance. Of course I cannot handle anyone so could not move them myself, so had to adapt my performance to move around the room so they could see me at some point.
Although the residents appeared to enjoy the show, and said they did afterwards, I felt most of them could not get a full experience due to being all over then room. Something so simple as moving everybody so they are in clear focus can have such an effect on an experience. They were not fully engaged as they had restricted view and therefore could get distracted or loose attention quickly.
Journal extract- February 2016
I arrived around 15 minutes early to set up, and the residents were already sat waiting listening to a 'Frank Sinatra' cd, which tied in well because I was performing a Swing style show. The activities co ordinator was handing out drinks to the residents and some snacks. There were three other care staff in the room tending to various residents as they were settling down for the show. Once the show started the residents began to sing along, with the careers and co ordinator going round to residents encouraging to sing and dance in their chairs. During the song 'Can't Take my Eyes off of you' they got several residents up to dance and then a few more got up on their own accord. This spurred the other residents to clap along to the song. This positive atmosphere was kept up the. For the rest of the performance wit various people getting up to dance throughout and everyone was singing along and clapping.
The two performance were so different from a little participation from the staff. I feel this is such an important part of performances as the residents know and trust the carers so are much more likely to let go and get more involved with their encouragement.
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
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
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.
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