Vamos Theatre has been shortlisted for a National Dementia Care Award 2024 in the Outstanding Approach to Supporting People Living With Dementia Using Creativity and the Arts category. These prestigious awards recognise exceptional commitment to, and achievements in, dementia care and we are really proud to have had our work in this area recognised.
Organised by the Journal of Dementia Care, the awards serve as a platform for sharing best practices and innovative approaches to inspire others to adopt a person-centred approach to dementia care while fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the dementia care community.
The Outstanding Approach to Supporting People Living With Dementia Using Creativity and the Arts Award celebrates organisations and individuals whose work positively impacts people living with dementia. Through the guidance of our Artistic Director, Rachael Savage, we have been creating innovative and impactful work with and for people living with dementia since 2014. The aim of our performances and training is to give everyone involved, regardless of their needs, the opportunity to play, interact and immerse themselves, and explore their capacity for happiness and laughter. We support models of community-based, person-centred care by providing training within an ethos of empathy, listening, acceptance, and playfulness, believing that training for staff and carers is most successful, and skills are sustained, when learning is experiential, emotional and enjoyable. Over the last ten years, our work has expanded to include as broad a range of participants as possible, not only focusing on care homes but also day centres, hospices, hospitals, community centres and dementia cafes. Since 2014, over 183,000 people have experienced our performances and workshops.
Rachael comments, “We are utterly proud and delighted to have been shortlisted for a National Dementia Care Award, which reflects Vamos Theatre’s dedication and commitment to using the arts as a tool for positive change in dementia care. It is wonderful to have had this commitment recognised at a national level.”
The winners of the National Dementia Care Awards will be announced at an upcoming ceremony at Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, on Thursday, September 26th, 2024.
For more about Vamos Theatre's work with and for people living with dementia, see our Arts in Health pages.