Executive Summary 2019

It’s jazz…when it really works, it’s giving people the space to come in at this level and someone to come in on the trumpet. You create 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) • The arts had the power to improve well-being, including enhancements in mood, enjoyment and enthusiasm. There was also plenty of laughter and playfulness during activities. • The arts activities were often emotional as residents shared meaningful memories (happy and sad), as well as building new memories. • Arts activities are inherently relational and enabled more reciprocal relationships in the care homes. [M]aking art, being together and creating is a kind of innate human property… Art is one of the things that people do together… I think art is a sort of invitation to be human. It’s an invitation to respond with raw emotion... to recognise something that you have in common with someone else… (Arts organisations focus group) The care context as amediating factor The care home context was a mediating factor in the success or otherwise of participatory arts activities and their impact on the social relationships of residents. This spanned organisational issues, the environment, and the capacity and culture of the care home. • Successful delivery of the arts activities required the arts facilitator and care home staff to work closely together for effective planning and preparation, especially around things like staffing levels, shift patterns, existing routines and the challenges of using communal spaces. Actually, very quickly I found I was joining in with everybody, and actually it was really, really liberating… I think that was definitely an eye opening moment on how powerful this could be, because we all came together. (Stage one care manager) • Strong leadership in the care homes and the willingness to take risks at management level was important, as well as staff attitudes towards the arts and the capacity of residents to participate in arts activities. • The activities coordinators had a crucial role in supporting the effective delivery of the arts programmes as well as encouraging continued participation in arts activities. They were also central to creating a culture within the care home that is supportive of the arts. • A lack of funding and instability in the care sector were detrimental to the opportunities to engage external arts organisations in delivering arts activities for residents. 8 Executive Summary