dementia inclusive show comes to stirling
Scene Stirling partners Artlink Central and Macrobert have joined forces with NHS Forth Valley to bring a dementia inclusive theatre show to Stirling.
In the Light of Day is a collaborative performance specifically for people living with dementia, their families and carers, which will be performed at the Macrobert Arts Centre this weekend (Friday 8th and Saturday 9th July).
The production was devised and is directed by Magdalena Schamberger, a sector-leading artist with a wealth of expertise in the field of arts and dementia:
“I had the initial idea for In the Light of Day during the first covid lockdown in 2020. I was thinking of care home residents, particularly those living with dementia, who during that period, were only able to experience touch and physical connection via disposable plastic gloves and PPE equipment.
“I was therefore wondering, if focusing on hands, gloves and gestures might help to reimagine beauty and tenderness.”
Magdalena added: “From the very beginning, people living with dementia were at the heart of my research and approach. I picked all my creative collaborators because of their professional and/or personal experience engaging with people living with dementia.
“During our initial research and development phase in 2020 and 2021, we partly worked online, exploring how to showcase hands and gloves. This led to the creation of Glove Stories, films to be watched alongside our performance. We developed the initial films with input and feedback from care home residents.
“Once we were able to spend time together in a rehearsal space, we devised artistic material, which was first performed for people living with dementia in July 2021. Their responses and feedback has shaped the full production of our In the Light of Day 2022 tour.”
Magdalena explained: “In the Light of Day uses a mix of structured scenes and invitations to engage, with room for improvisation and participation.
“We use very few words and there is no obvious pressure to follow a storyline. We concentrate on emotional memory and engagement and gently invite our audience to participate on their terms or to simply sit back and watch.
“In my experience, focusing on simplicity, clarity, rhythm and repetition are some of the secret ingredients to engaging with audiences with dementia. We have added live music, strong images and humour into the mix, which not only make the piece more enjoyable, but also help to hold attention and evoke responses.”
Every aspect of the performance is tailored to people living with dementia.
Magdalena said: “Our costume and set design is drawn from a particular colour palette, contrast and tonality, widely recognised to be easily visible by the ageing eye. The live music, composed for the show, invites our audiences to move, sing, hum, harmonise or whistle along. A particular delight is when our audiences join us for a boogie at the end of the performance.
“The show tells a simple and universal story of love, longing, household chores and the wish for connection. It is my hope that it provides an opportunity for somebody with dementia to see a piece of high-quality theatre, without it being a stressful or worrying experience for them or their carers.”
To book a ticket for In the Light of Day at the Macrobert call 01786 466666. Tickets are priced £5 and the assisting companions go free.
Performance photos by Brian Hartley.
