Case History - Older People
Monday 2nd June 2008
Forty residents aged between 60 and 100 in three residential homes - in Ballynahinch, Dromore and Belfast - have taken part in an art project of a special kind, Musical Memories.
Residents of each of the three Homes were involved in the creation of a small musical play in the form of a Singspiel*. LMN musicians Lorna McLaughlin, Niamh Lavery and Roisin O'Grady, together with storyteller Fra Gunn, visited the homes to collect the songs and stories the residents remembered from earlier days. They used these as the inspiration and focus for a new piece of music-drama to perform back to them.
The residents in the nursing home were therefore not only engaged in the performance of music but actively involved in the creation of a new piece. They sang along with the well known songs and engaged in conversation.
I thought it was magnificent, really great, for people to go to so much trouble to entertain us is brilliant. It was good the way they made the play at the end, about us and what we talked about before hand. It was good craic! I enjoyed it, I loved the singing and the dancing too! Lily, Dromore nursing home resident
An added extra for the residents was that their families and friends were able to attend the performance. Not only did this enable all to share the enjoyment of an artistic and social event, but often the music brought to life a previously unknown story.
Evaluation of the project has identified the following benefits to the participants:
- eliciting emotions and positive responses when residents realised the performance was about them (excitement, faces lit up and there was a sense of pride and joy, also a few tears)
- enhanced communication (between different ages, backgrounds, residents and staff: ( previously unknown facts and stories of past experiences in work and family life were uncovered.)
- shared emotions as visiting relatives found the project very moving, exploring memories with their loved ones.
- mental and emotional stimulation: provides a creative as much as a recreational activity for the audience who can enjoy the intellectual stimulus and the palliative quality of music
- local and personal history and stories will be kept alive in a new (art) form for generations to come
- increased confidence and self esteem
- combat isolation and routine
According to new studies (ie. 'Invest to Save: Arts in Health' from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) or 'The View from the Hill'. A Study in Current Practice
in Arts by, with and for Older People 2006 For the Arts for Older People Network, Northern Ireland), creativity and participation in the arts helps to keep older people more active and healthy on mental, physical and social levels. The research shows that elderly people participating in arts felt happier, empowered and more confident. Depression levels were reduced.
The project was made possible by funding from Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Down District Council and Community Foundation for Northern Ireland - The Turkington Fund.
*Definition: Singspiel ("song-play") (plural Singspiele) is a form of music drama, regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, sometimes performed over music, interspersed with ensembles, popular songs, ballads and arias (which were often folk-like and strophic in nature).