Creative Journeys Report 2019

Creative Journeys 75 Storytelling was also an important part of all of the case study activities. During Sinfonia Viva with Orchestras Live sessions, participants were invited to pair up and sing to each other and to share stories and experiences with the group. In addition the facilitators engaged the residents and encouraged them to tell their stories and use these stories to create lyrics for a new song which the group then performed. Sharing stories was also a key element of the Age Exchange sessions. Age Exchange as described previously, use reminiscence arts, and the stories that are shared through these sessions can be used to create a piece of theatre if the participants have capacity and are physically and cognitively able. In this project the residents were frail and therefore it was not possible to create a piece of physical theatre and instead the facilitators used artefacts, photographs and music which they provided to stimulate storytelling, but in addition they also encouraged residents to bring photographs to the sessions to tell their own stories. Dunbar (2014) considers language to be a form of social bonding. Telling stories about ourselves gives an insight to others about how we see the world, and it can also create a sense of community as people learn who we are and where we come from, which is particularly useful in a care home setting where a person’s previous history and social networks may be unknown by others. Reminiscence, which is part of storytelling, can be also be used to boost self-esteem and enables individuals to evaluate their life history and quality of life. In the section on mediating factors we noted that the ways in which the arts facilitators, as well as the activities coordinators, worked in groups enabled people to both reclaim aspects of their previous lives through sharing memories related to the arts activities but also importantly creating new memories together. Residents and staff spoke about how the process increased resident’s self-esteem and self- confidence. Nicholson (2011) suggests that reminiscence is also a creative and performative practice, and in the sessions it was observed that the stories and sharing of experiences resulted in laughter and smiling together. Laughter is also a bonding mechanism and according to Dunbar (2014) laughter as pre-language was a form of chorusing – a commentary on an event which produced the laughter. In all the sessions participants laughed in response to stories and jokes made by other residents or staff, and the facilitator also used strategies to engender a sense of fun and playfulness. Being involved in the participatory arts activities then gave residents an opportunity to share their stories with others in the group, this not only helped the group members to get to know each other but also through reminiscing about past life events helps the story teller to re-assert their self- identity. Green Candle Dance Company specialised in activities using dance with music as an integral part of the session. Dancing with others is a social activity that is able to promote a sense of well-being and social inclusion (BUPA, 2011). It is also a physical activity and is beneficial for older people because it is inclusive and can be tailored to match the physical capabilities of those taking part. In addition to the potential therapeutic effect on physical well-being, it also enhances communication because it enables expression of thought through movements (Crawford et al., 2015). As part of the sessions residents would follow the moves of the facilitator and others in the group; such ‘mirroring’ of other people’s moves is thought to provoke residents to concentrate on the spatial relationship of their own body to the movement of another person (Atkinson and Scott, 2015). Rhythmic mirroring is a form of non-verbal communication which can result in spontaneous rapport between dancers, and also has the potential to create a playful atmosphere (Froggett and Little, 2012). Drawing on a social psychology perspective, social bonding is believed to occur when people mimic or mirror dance moves. Synchronisation builds rapport and creates a positive feedback loop so people become socially