Full Report 33 some speeches, we watched it together. It was a beautiful moment to see the residents recognising themselves in the work and we followed it with a dance to some of the songs we used throughout the project – with tea and cakes. The wonderful staff at St Fillans also arranged for awards for those residents who had taken part which were presented to them to rounds of applause. A lot of residents make their own scrapbooks. They were a useful way for the artists to get to know individuals, who enjoyed showing them and talking through the memories attached to the photos. We decided to make a ‘Moving in Time’ scrapbook filled with photos taken from the first workshop right through to the premiere and containing messages from all the artists involved in making the film. We gave it to the residents to continue to add to, a physical legacy of our partnership. Challenges and successes We encountered a few challenges across the residency, but they all led to important changes in both the output (the film) and also our processes. Following one of the regular sessions our dance artists were asked to do some work with a resident always in bed in their room. The artists led some movement exercises with the person, but felt that they were not as prepared as they could have been for that particular type of work and the needs of the resident. We provided some additional training for the dance artists on working one-toone with residents with limited mobility and means of communication. The training was incredibly rewarding and useful for our artists. The use of handto-hand contact and other means of communication were incorporated into the film in a series of duets that focused on tactile communication. We faced many scheduling issues, whether it was down to train strikes or Covid-19 and other public events, we regularly had to rearrange and adapt. This led to a working practice of adaptation and working with what we had. We had a person-centred approach from workshops through to filming, to meet the needs of everyone involved. Another challenge was the emotional impact the work had on all of the team; however, this was also incredibly rewarding. Although the dancers had experience working in care home settings, the process of getting to know the residents and their lives so that their stories and their physicalities were brought authentically to the creative process had a deep impact on them. This was emotionally challenging for the artists at times, and we ensured we had space to discuss and reflect. These relationships and emotional connections were pivotal to the story of the film. At all stages we wanted to honour the people we had met and worked with, and who had been kind enough to share their home and their lives with us. The film exceeded all our expectations. Everyone involved spoke of the passion they had for it and how humbled and privileged they felt to have been a part of it. We are so incredibly proud of our work with St Fillans, we hope they continue to bring the arts to their residents and we hope audiences enjoy Moving In Time. “You have captured so beautifully and poignantly the confusion, bewilderment and loss of someone with dementia. The desire and need for compassion, comfort and touch.” “I’m so happy to have watched Moving in Time. It thrilled, spilled and darn near killed me! Truly, it made me cry with love for all of you that put it together.”
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