The Artists & Beyond

At present our artists are writers, theatre practitioners and composers.

TRAINING AND PRACTICE

Each artist trains in Living Words listen-out-loud methodology, before working on our residencies in care homes. The Living Words artists employ their creative skills practically - using their artistic process to enrich the process of working with individuals experiencing a dementia, and care home staff. Individual artists are given opportunities to reflect on their work with Living Words residencies through their distinct art-form and practice. The success of the process is based on the connection between artist and participant, in a process of co-creativity and mutual learning.

MENTAL HEALTH - PROJECTS REACHING OTHER GROUPS

Since Living Words started evolving the Listen Out Loud system of person-centred development, we have wanted to extend our methods beyond the field of dementia and apply them to other groups of people who feel unheard or marginalised. In March 2019, the Living Warriors project, created for Kent County Council and NHS England and NHS Improvement was held over a month at Folkestone Library. We came together to explore the moments in which participants had chosen not to end their lives, as well as what kept them here and keeps us going - something on which the UK has very little data. We worked in small groups and one-to-one to co-create individual Living Words books with all those who took part. We're currently working hard to get the world to hear & listen to these words. Visit our special screening site where you can watch the films, as well as learn more about the other outcomes of the project.
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I learn so much from this work - the investigation, experience and rigorous thought that have gone into developing the methodology. How empowering to have my skills as an artist valued and put to practical use. I benefit greatly from the insight I gain from the work and the people I work with. Recently I’ve noticed that it has enriched my poetry and the way in which I teach and listen.

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Shazea Quraishi,
Living Words artist and poet

                    TAKING THE WORK WE DO WITH PEOPLE OUT TO THE PUBLIC

It is an essential part of our mission to create quality artistic experiences that challenge accepted perceptions of difference, communication and the dementias.

In these public artistic projects, the hidden words of people from our participatory projects usually take centre stage. So together, we can all learn to see each other -not labels or diagnoses that might be put on us - to increase understanding and awareness, and promote integration. We are also committed to enabling our artists to reflect on their own experiences and practices and create work from and about them. We have always been interested in how other artists and organisations might share and develop our work, both to further good practice and enable the voices of marginalised individuals to be heard by more people. The work of Living Words in care settings and the community is the inspiration for an ever-widening programme of publications, performance, literature events and festivals.

We are currently undergoing a change to the way we work in response to COVID- 19; please visit our homepage for more information & watch this space.

Shazea

FREE

You had enough?
I’ve had enough in here
Of everything
I’m released and pretend
Sit here, free
All free
What I like –
Quiet
All easy

About us

Living Words is an Arts and Literature charity transforming lives and relationships since 2007.

Call us: +44 (0)7967 502 506
Email: info@livingwords.org.uk
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