Creative Journeys Report 2019

52 Creative Journeys There was a lot of play. I think if I was to look back at the project and the thing that I think was most valued by the participants… would be the playfulness, it would be the invitation to play…being allowed to be free... (Arts organisations focus group) They also connected with the residents on a personal and emotional level by sharing some of their own experiences and treating/valuing the residents as individuals and simply “as humans” , rather than as a “unit of care”. For example, at the end of the programme in two of the care homes there was an exchange of cards both to each resident from the arts facilitators, as well as to the arts facilitators from the residents. In the case studies arts facilitators sought to be as flexible as possible and find ways to harness people’s strengths as well as acknowledging the real challenges many resident’s faced. [T]here’s a really important thing that we sometimes forget in what we do, that certainly in this case you do come across people who are either extremely ill or incredibly disabled… this kind of project is geared up to… really play to people’s strengths. (Stage one arts facilitator) Arts facilitators listened and paid attention to details and the personal qualities of residents, making them feel noticed and valued and also responding to their needs and experiences. We’re a mixed bag [in terms of what we can do]. [Arts facilitator] was wonderful. He was always explaining things to us and included us all. He was very clear. He got us all involved. They had a lot of patience. We all had our experiences and he brought each of our experiences out. (Stage one resident) It’s jazz… when it really works, it’s giving people the space to come in at this level and someone else to come in on the trumpet. You create it in such a way that there is real freedom and the people are valued, that they feel they each have a voice, that voice is respected, and you go with the flow. (Arts organisations focus group) To work effectively with each and every resident, arts facilitators themselves stated the need for them to work in pairs or groups – and to be able to work well together – so that they could engage in one-to-one work with the residents, particularly those who might have additional needs in relation to physical or cognitive impairments while the other facilitator could continue working with the rest of the group. I think participatory arts practice, there is so much about working on the relationships with the people that you’re supporting or creating with which can be taken for granted…The values and valuing people, that’s critical, just making sure that everybody feels that they have a worth in the situation. (Arts organisations focus group)