The Arts and Older People Project is a unique project that was established in 2010 and over the past few years has enabled local arts practitioners to deliver participatory arts based workshops for older people across Herefordshire. The project aims to combat isolation for older people living in rural areas through direct access to the arts, and improve their personal independence by allowing them to become more active, improving health, wellbeing and quality of life.

Through the provision of training we aim to build stronger local communities who have the skills to support older people. Training sessions we have held allow arts practitioners, health care professionals and care staff to develop skills to enable them to provide arts based activities. Through networking events, conferences, and our new Arts and Older People Forum we hope to raise awareness of older people’s issues whilst promoting models of best practice developed through projects we have initiated.

Some of our projects to date include our flagship Dementia Poetry Project which encourages communication and engagement in the arts using poetry for those with dementia, our Extend dance sessions which allow older people to increase their impedance by improving mobility and the My Story project – a film reminiscence project taking place in day care centres.

Older people across Herefordshire

Local service (Herefordshire).

The Courtyard’s Arts and Older People Project is kindly funded by the European Union (EAFRD) and Defra through the VITAL Herefordshire LEADER Programme and The Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund. With additional funding from Hereford City Council and Claridge Nursing Homes.

16/04/2014