Luminate and The Centre for Person-centred Practice Research at Queen Margaret University have announced that celebrated theatre artist and educator, Professor Anne Basting is coming to Edinburgh.
Professor Anne Basting is Professor of Theatre, Peck School of the Arts, Univer-sity of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and a 2016 MacArthur Fellow.
Her lecture at Queen Margaret University in Musselburgh will focus on the positive impact of community-building projects with older people as collaborators.
Her talk will cover The Penelope Project, a collaboration between UWM Department of Theatre and Luther Manor Senior Living Community; The Islands of Milwaukee programme, which aimed to create a sustainable network to bring meaningful engagement to older adults who are at risk of isolation; and a new creative training programme launched in 2016 with 50 Wisconsin nursing homes.
Professor Basting will also lead a training day on TimeSlips at the Dovecot Studios, using creative storytelling approach for artists and care professionals who work with older people living with dementia.
In 1996 Basting was curious to find out if improvisation and creative drama techniques that were so powerful for healthy older adults could prove helpful for people with dementia. After trying many reminiscence-based techniques, she shifted toward imagination and the improvisation sessions took off.
Since then TimeSlips has been refined and developed, and is now used in care communities, museums, libraries, older people’s centres and individual homes in the US and 12 countries including the UK.
Scotland’s population is ageing and a greater number of older people are living with dementia and other cognitive impairments. Basting’s international work has much to offer, and both these events give an exciting opportunity to hear from a renowned specialist on a rare visit to the UK.
Anne Gallacher, Director of Luminate, said, “I am looking forward very much to Anne Basting’s visit, and to hearing more about her work. There is a growing number of Scottish-based artists working with older people in care settings, and this is an exciting opportunity for us all to share experiences across continents. I am also delighted to be collaborating with the Centre for Per-son-centred Practice Research at Queen Margaret University on this visit; their priorities are very much in line with Luminate’s, and I hope this will be the first of many joint initiatives”.
Event details
The Penelope Project: How the arts can transform care for older people
Venue: Halle Lecture Theatre, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh EH21 6UU
Date/Time: Monday 13 March at 6pm. Tea/coffee will be available from 5.30pm and after the lecture there will be a Q&A followed by drinks and canapes.
Admission: free but booking essential.
Time Slips
Venue: Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT
Date/time: 11am – 3.30pm
Admission: £15 per person for freelancers or students
£30 per person for participants from care, health or cultural organisations.
Lunch included. Book online.