Psychosocial Grant supports research into benefits of art and dementia program

Maitland Regional Art Gallery will partner with the University of Newcastle (UoN) to research the psychosocial benefits of a long running program that supports people living with dementia and their carers.  

Held twice a month, Conversations: Art and Dementia is a free social and creative tour of current exhibitions that helps attendees combat social isolation and develop ongoing quality relationships.  

The program, which received $50,000 in grant funding from the Primary Health Network to conduct the research, is one of eight recipient projects across the Hunter, New England and Central Coast regions, each aiming to enhance individual and community mental wellbeing through innovative, non clinical interventions.  

Tailored to priority groups, the initiatives will be tested, evaluated and become proof of concept models for further development and application.  

‘Conversations: Art and Dementia uses artworks and artmaking activities to trigger conversation, encouraging people with dementia and their carers to connect with each other, share stories and express their thoughts and feelings,’ says Gallery Director Gerry Bobsien.  

Ms Bobsien says the Gallery is ‘looking forward to partnering with the University of Newcastle to gain a deeper understanding of the range of benefits that Conversations: Art and Dementia can offer and using these findings to guide future programs.’  

Conversations: Art and Dementia is also delivered via outreach programming, enabling local care facilities to engage in the program at their own site or through organised transport to the gallery.   

’As well as developing our understanding of the benefits of engaging in creative activities for people living with dementia, this research project will focus on ways of widening participation through addressing the external and internal barriers people might have,’ says UoN Associate Professor Helen English.  

To learn more about Conversations: Art and Dementia, or to book into the next session, visit mait.city/MRAGPrograms.