Music and Dementia

Our cultural partner, Manchester Camerata, believe in the connective and transformative nature of music. Since 2012, they have worked with people living with dementia in several capacities, and Creative Manchester is actively involved in this work and ambition.

Music in Mind

Led by a team of highly trained, specialist musicians and therapists, Manchester Camerata’s Music in Mind programme employs music and improvisation to help people living with dementia to express themselves and communicate with others. This has led to a perceived reduction in frustration, has enabled new connections to form, and has had a significant positive effect on daily life of participants at care homes.

The programme also trains and supports care workers to deliver Music in Mind workshops independently, developing a legacy for the programme so that I can continue to see positive effects. It is a prime example of how creativity and the arts can better the wellbeing of local communities.

During the pandemic, Music in Mind adapted to deliver its programme remotely: Music in Mind Remote (MiMR). This began in Greater Manchester but soon expanded across the UK. Since then, MiMR has seen substantial coverage and is now bringing its benefits to an international audience, in Sweden, Taiwan, and Japan.

In June 2022, the NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR) awarded researchers at The University of Manchester, Manchester Camerata, and the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust an 18-month grant to evaluate the impact of MiMR. University of Manchester Professor of Older People’s Mental Health, John Keady, believes this research is an excellent opportunity to understand the wellbeing effects that music can have on all taking part in the programme.

To learn more about this research, view our news summary.

Untold

As part of Manchester Camerata’s ambition to deliver and communicate the transformative nature of music, Rebecca Parnell, Creative Producer for Creative Manchester and Manchester Camerata, has produced a digital film series which tells real-life stories in an up-close and intimate manner.

Released on World Alzheimer’s Day 2021, the second full-length episode tells the story of a man (‘Keith’) diagnosed with young-onset dementia. It is a deeply personal account of how the condition affects the everyday life of him and his wife, Joan, but also how music can help in transformative ways.

This short film can help audiences better understand dementia, a key educational resource for showing what it is like for those living with the syndrome and building support for them.

For more information on the ‘Untold’ film series, you find out more via our news story.