Opera performance supports dementia-friendly events to increase access to the arts
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As part of its work on how people with dementia can be supported to live fulfilling lives, the University of West London’s Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory (GIAM) put on a dementia-friendly opera performance, in collaboration with The Music Troupe and London College of Music, at the Lawrence Hall Theatre on UWL’s Ealing campus on Wednesday 30 August 2023.
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The event was a special preview of a new contemporary opera ‘The Last Siren’, a 30-minute piece that takes a fresh look at the Greek myth from Homer’s Odyssey.
Our aim was to give people living with dementia and their loved ones an opportunity to enjoy a new experience together and engage with their community and the arts in a safe and authentic environment,”
says Dr Andy Northcott, Senior Lecturer in Sociology of Medicine within the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory, who began developing the idea for the music event six months ago.
Before the performance, the audience, sitting in the round, took part in an interactive workshop where they explored the story, met the writers and performers and even tried their hand at some operatic singing.
The audience’s response was encouraging:
It’s very hard for someone with dementia, but when you hear the music, it’s amazing. You just suddenly feel alive,”
one of those attending commented.
Dr Northcott explains:
We want to produce a blueprint for creating events for people with dementia and their carers. We chose opera partly because it is hard to do, and we wanted to show that anything is possible.
We hope our blueprint will remove some of the stigma associated with dementia, but also highlight that events like this bring so much joy to those attending and, with that, inspire other events to follow.”
The Last Siren was composed by Edward Lambert, with libretto by Norman Welch, and directed by Jenny Weston. The Music Troupe performers included the conductor and composer Edward Lambert, four professional musicians playing cello, viola and French horn and two opera singers, Louise Fuller and Arlene Belli.
This new work went down well with members of the audience, with one attendee commenting:
It’s very emotive — there’s something there that people can relate to. Music speaks a language like no other.”
Feedback from those attending the opera was collected and will be used to inform further developments of Andy’s events blueprint and to secure funding to reach new audiences.
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