Beginning work on any
creative project is always equally exciting and daunting. You know there will
be challenges and set-backs but these are always somehow overcome. The anxiety
before stepping into the first rehearsal and meeting the people you will be
working with is always unnerving. This feeling is ten times greater when
working on a project like Memoria. There is no script, no actors and no set
path.
Over the course of
seven weeks we will be working with people affected by dementia, asking them to
share their own personal experiences and stories, that are often emotional,
both good and bad. Most of these people have not performed in a professional
theatre before and this is their first experience of creating a showing from
scratch.
Although Re-Live have
created many touching and innovative performances working with real
life-stories, Memoria poses a whole new challenge. The creative team will be
working with two groups of people that will eventually come together for the
final public sharing. One group is made up of people who have recently been
diagnosed with dementia, the other consists of people who have or did care for
a loved one with dementia and even a care home manager.
Although there are
many different forms of dementia and each individual is affected differently
one of the most common symptoms is short term memory loss. This is clearly
going to affect the creative process where members of the group may forget what
they have shared or why they are even in the rehearsal at all. As a company
Re-Live take issues of consent and capacity very seriously, as it is so
important to ensure everyone is happy and comfortable to share their stories
and is able to make an informed choice about what to share.
So far I have only met
with the group of carers and loved ones. Already this group of inspirational
individuals have come together to form a supportive group and everyone is so willing
to share their experiences. There have been one or two tears here and there but
mostly we have laughed. There are so many funny anecdotes - some intentionally hilarious, others
complete accidents.
I have already learned
so much, some of which I will be sharing via this blog over the next few weeks.
To help me learn more I have also signed up to a free online course run by the
University of Tasmania – “Understanding Dementia”. I hope this online programme
will help me gain some insight into the world of those with a dementia diagnosis
and therefore make me more considerate to the needs of people with dementia in
our society.
Here are articles I
have written about previous Re-Live projects, click on the links if you would
like to read more:
Abandoned Brothers – a touching project with veterans diagnosed
with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and their family members
Age – a group of inspirational and often hilarious older people shared
their stories of the past and hopes for the future
Belonging – a more ‘traditional’ theatre show about dementia that
is suitable to tour care homes, schools and community venues as well as theatre
spaces.
