Thursday 20 August 2015

Dementia awareness through puppetry.


Dementia awareness gives us all an understanding of such a sensitive subject and this is especially important for young people. We have a workshop where we use group work, an interactive quiz, puppetry, role play, brain activities and lots of fun to take the fear out of dementia. We finish this session with a thought provoking drama and ask the group to help us to make special memories for this character. Puppetry is used in a sensitive and age appropriate manner. We have found that the sessions are also helpful for teachers and support staff who become involved in this work. Not only is it a spring board to start discussions of a sensitive nature in class, but it is also a space to look at personal feelings. So many of us fear the unknown and discovering facts through play resonates with all ages. When the pressure is off to be thinking about our own situations, we can reflect our feelings and worries onto fictitious characters and release emotions in a safe way. It doesn't fix all concerns but it is a good starting point.