Edinburgh Napier University

  Dementia is a progressive disorder that affects how the brain works, and in particular the ability to remember, think and reason. It affects speech, mood, mobility, behavior and how people perceive and respond to the world around them. Contemporary approaches to understanding dementia encourage society to think about how people can live well in their communities. These approaches focus on ensuring that people with dementia see the diagnosis not as the end of their life, but rather as the beginning of a new chapter of their life. This study explores how arts events specifically tailored for people with dementia can help those with a dementia diagnosis to live well after their diagnosis. In this study, we have undertaken qualitative research in the form of semi-structured interviews with festival organisers and event managers in order to understand the value of arts festivals and events in the context of dementia care. In this paper, we present areas of best practice within the Arts and Culture sector and offer recommendations for improvement in how festival and event managers make their arts events accessible and a positive experience for those living with dementia. The key theoretical contribution of this paper is the proposition of a theoretical framework that explores dementia arts events as they relate to a palliative model on relationship-centred care for people living with dementia – the ‘Senses Framework’ – and we apply this framework from social care in an arts events context.