title: 'Festival in a Box': Development and qualitative evaluation of an outreach programme to engage socially isolated people with dementia.
abstract: We co-designed and piloted 'Festival in a Box', an outreach programme to enable socially isolated people with dementia to engage with and enjoy cultural activities in their homes. It comprised 3-4 weekly home visits, each led by a professional artist to create art works using materials brought in 'the box'. Activities included music, poetry, pottery, crafts and photography. We qualitatively interviewed 13 participants (6 people with dementia, 4 artists, 3 befrienders). Six participants with dementia completed, enjoyed and engaged with the planned visits. Main themes were: engagement, reflection on value of previous cultural activities, precariousness and isolation in current neighbourhood and the importance of a voice and being heard. Befrienders reported their preconceptions of what participants could do were challenged. Artists reported shifts in their preconceptions about dementia and the influence of the project on their professional practice. We propose that the 'Festival in a Box' pilot study suggests a means through which community arts festivals could work with socially isolated people with dementia to contribute to the creation of 'Dementia Friendly Communities'. A larger-scale pilot study is now needed to develop this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: School of Advanced Study, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eades
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001155:Art Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: arts; cultural activities; dementia; isolation; pilot trial