L4A

We work with older people receiving care across Leicester and Leicestershire

dementia

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Art with Heart

We are delighted to be running a small pilot project called Art with Heart exploring different artistic cultural styles with people who have dementia and memory loss.

The first Art with Heart session took place on Saturday 10th November at Agnes House in Wyggeston’s Hospital in Leicester.

The theme was Africa and they talked about Africa, looked at typical African design motifs and then had a go at copying or designing and painting their own. The group looked at bold colours and striking patterns and worked together to create a series of distinct designs of their own.

The session was led by Vicky, a very experienced artist and longstanding L4A volunteer and she was supported with the help of student volunteers Safooraa and Asra.

The theme for the next session is South America and we look forward to seeing the results.

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Art on the Ward – final project report

Learning for the Fourth Age is delighted to have worked with over 200 people during our first ever pilot taking learning into this new setting! You can download the final report of this pilot, packed with photos and quotes that highlight the impact of this project here:

Final Report Art on the Ward

With the support of the Arts in Mental Health Coordinators working for the NHS Leicestershire Partnership Trust, we set about working on two wards in two different locations with two different people leading the sessions. The impact and success of the project have been significant and we are already seeking further funding to pilot similar work targeting older people with mental health conditions, including dementia. Fingers crossed!

Our heartfelt thanks go to Clare Miles and Rowena Williams who delivered such lovely, inspiring work each week for fifteen weeks over the course of the project. The photos of people engaging in learning, the quotes from older people and staff and the photographs of the artwork produced show the value of artistic learning interventions for older people recovering in hospitals. Both Clare and Rowena have a wealth of experience in working with stroke patients, dementia and those recovering with L4A but also as a nurse and a speech and language therapist respectfully.