Dr Nicky Taylor

Nicky is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Dementia Research. Her work supports and amplifies voices of people with dementia through co-production, by sensitively sharing power and learning together, whether co-designing services or sharing stories of life with dementia.

Nicky's work in co-production focuses on what people with dementia can offer, which is a direct challenge to the stigma and despair most commonly associated with the condition. Whilst acknowledging the numerous challenges dementia presents, working in co-production allows room for people with dementia to grow and find hope.

Nicky is a Senior Atlantic Fellow with the Global Brain Health Institute (Trinity College Dublin and University of California San Francisco) where she advocates for valuing and integrating the arts and science in global approaches to understanding dementia.

Nicky is Theatre and Dementia Research Associate at Leeds Playhouse where she instigated and leads the award-winning theatre and dementia programme, engaging people with dementia in creative co-production and supportive creative participation. Her doctoral thesis explored the creative co-production process of realising Every Third Minute – a seven-week festival of theatre, dementia and hope - in which people with dementia engaged as curators, performers and playwrights.

Nicky’s practice background working with older people and people with dementia spans over 25 years in care, community and arts settings, with a particular focus on community arts engagement.