Creative Journeys Report 2019

Creative Journeys 77 In the sections above the mechanisms through which the participatory arts activities could help to strengthen social bonds and enhance social connectedness and thus relationships were explored with reference to theories of social and evolutionary psychology. However to allow these mechanisms to operate and a community to develop there are a number of fundamental conditions which need to be met. Wolf, Stricker and Hagenloh (2015), suggests for a community to develop, that in the first place people need to meet each other in an environment conducive to social interaction. In the case of our research and participatory arts activities it was identified that in a care home setting that a suitable space where the activities can proceed is required. Secondly, relationships develop through similar interests and goals, so if people are likeminded and want to join the group and join in with the activity this too will help to create social bonds. Similarly, through shared experiences with the group and becoming comfortable with familiar people will support this process. Thirdly, if a strong sense of community doesn’t already exist within the home, development of a new community of interest with the arts activity as the focus will be enhanced because of the absence of an alternative community. Finally, if the relationships that form are or have the potential to be reciprocal and people become interdependent on others in the group, then this will also help to build a community and strengthen relationships. As part of a group, an individual also has a social identity which is shaped both by context and interactions with others. For residents, as members of the group, the dance group, or the music group, they had a social identity which gave them a sense of purpose and a sense of belonging. The sadness that was observed when the programmes finished may have been due to this sense of loss. The commonalities noted above across the different art forms suggests that it is not only the art form that is important but critically the ways in which arts facilitators undertake their work in the care home context. 6.2 The role of the facilitator There appears to be a paucity of literature exploring the role of the arts facilitator in the successful delivery of participatory arts activities, but from this current study it is evident that the relationship that develops between the residents and the facilitator is critical. However, equally important is the relationship between the facilitator and the care home staff at all levels to ensure an optimal experience for the residents. Staff need to know when the sessions are taking place and be willing and able to transport people to the sessions if necessary; there also needs to be staff present in the sessions to support the residents and facilitators. Flexibility by the arts facilitator was a key theme in our study. This finding resonates with the wider literature on community arts for example, Perkins, Yorke and Fancourt (2018), whose study with mothers with post-natal depression explored the practices used by musicians to facilitate groups in a community setting, and found that the musicians relied on forward-planning of the sessions but that this was balanced by the recognition of the need to retain flexibility during the sessions – to be able to respond to sensitivities that may arise in the groups. Similarly, Higgins (2008) stressed the importance of facilitators being able to create an atmosphere that is mindful of the participants’ range of abilities whilst being able to challenge and stimulate all concerned. Perkins, Yorke and Fancourt (2018) also reported on the importance of activities strengthening group bonding and examples were given which included the organisation and content of the session but also the sharing of stories and enabling participants to do this. This also strongly resonates with the observations made in this current study, where residents were encouraged to share their experiences and stories with the rest of the participants.