The National Gallery of Ireland has launched an “at home” adaptation of their dementia-inclusive activities, offering new resources to accompany some upcoming exhibitions in the works.
In collaboration with Azure, an organisation set up to increase accessibility for people living with dementia in cultural spaces, the gallery has been running an access programme for the past five years. Inspired by the “Meet me at the MoMA” programme at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery aims to make art accessible to all and ensure that people living with dementia experience what the Gallery has to offer.
The activities are typically available in two forms: regular bi-monthly sessions in the gallery for individuals and their carers, and group sessions arranged in conjunction with care homes. However, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a new resource has been launched to serve as a guide for conducting a dementia-inclusive session at home. The resource includes images of artwork in the National Gallery – from a variety of genres and schools – accompanied by information to facilitate further discussion.
Alongside the digital resource, community groups can also attend digital lectures via Zoom or arrange for a team member to assist with their remote sessions digitally. The “at home” adaptation of these dementia-inclusive activities is extremely promising as it allows for even greater accessibility for those living with dementia from every corner of the island, now that travel to Dublin is not necessary.
What sets the National Gallery apart from other similar programmes in Ireland is the practical art response element. Not only does the resource involve discussion and appreciation of the art in the gallery, but participants are also encouraged to produce their own works of art inspired by what they see. This can also be facilitated by the gallery’s new resources.
As Caomhán Mac Con Iomaire of the National Gallery’s education team stated in an interview with The University Times, “it’s important, of course, to talk about the work and to interpret it, but also to have the practical side as well, because when you look at the work and engage with artwork it does kind of spark some creativity within everybody”. Regardless of the participant’s artistic background, this programme is proving engaging and accessible.
The programme is completely free to access and the resources and more information are available indefinitely from the National’s Gallery website.
