Project that helped tackle loneliness through art in care village settings wins prestigious award

The research project was backed by Dr Alan Dunn from Leeds Beckett’s Leeds School of Arts and explored the use of sound art within care village settings to tackle loneliness.

The 48 participants who had not socialised for many months took part in a series of creative activities over a period of 10 weeks. This gave them the chance to interact with artists and express their creativity with the aim to minimise loneliness and improve the community spirit.

The artistic sessions involved ‘orchestras’ where people could use household objects to play with sound and a recreation of a day at the beach, which included imagination exercises and fun decorations.

On winning the award, Dr Alan Dunn, Reader in Fine Art at Leeds Beckett University, said: “It is hugely important for our project to win and be recognised nationally. The project is about people working together in the here and now with artists, students, carers and those with dementia, pushing creative boundaries during incredibly challenging times.

“The Markel Awards recognise significant projects and initiatives in the care sector, with many dealing with the subject of dementia. This year's awards were particularly poignant given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and our work was recognised as having an innovative approach to engaging residents during lockdown.”

Following its success at the Markel Third Sector Care Awards, a glimpse into the ‘Where the Arts Belong’ project will be featured at an upcoming exhibition in Liverpool, from 12 March until 12 June.

‘Conversations’, a collection of recordings from the sound art sessions delivered as part of the project, will be launched during Bluecoat’s ‘Where the Arts Belong: Making Sense (Of It All)’ exhibition in Liverpool.

The exhibition showcases the benefits of using art in dementia settings and in tackling loneliness and isolation. The public will have access to a creative space which will encourage empathy and experimentation.

The award-winning project is funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) from Arts Council England and is an ongoing collaboration between Belong, Bluecoat and Leeds Beckett University.