Reminiscence theatre is a creative art form that incorporates drama, storytelling and music which trigger memories. It has great potential in enhancing the quality of life for older participants. It is also beneficial to audiences suffering with dementia or acquired brain injuries.
Intergenerational memories
Inclusive arts practices and intergenerational working have both shown to benefit older adults. This type of working improves wellbeing, social interactions, communication and collaboration skills. It also stimulates creative thinking. Forget-Me-Not regularly combines reminiscence and education projects in order to bridge the gap between generations and cultures, further promoting inclusion.
This usually involves young people working alongside older people with dementia to make theatre from their personal experiences. They also use their experiences as a source of therapeutic creativity. For example, they might use photographs, newspaper articles or verbatim memories as inspiration for stories or scripts set in an era significant to older person in question.
The following review is from Ward East 18 at Llandough Hospital: