MAKE SPACE
for People Living With Dementia
A theater for people living with dementia to
MOVE, CREATE, and EXPRESS.
What is Make Space?
Make Space is a program for and with people living with dementia that is designed to stimulate creativity and imagination. Make Space is a framework that uses dance, movement and narrative building to develop and enhance modes of expression and communication. Make Space builds tools that allow people living with dementia more effective and robust connections to the people and spaces around them.
Make Space is a program that makes connections between movement and meaning.
People living with dementia inevitably experience shifts in their modes and capacities for expression. The Make Space framework is designed to help people living with dementia explore options for expression beyond the dominant language-centric models. The program helps people gain comfort and security in the broad range of resources available to them in their bodies, minds, and voices. Make Space provides tools that can help participants maintain meaningful engagement, community and connection regardless of their disease progression.
How does Make Space work?
A Make Space class is organized around a theme that unites the class around a specific idea or concept. The theme provides a framing that allows participants to focus around a defined set of ideas and concepts. The theme serves as a foundation for exploration and expression; the ideas contained in the theme can be examined, elucidated, modified, or abstracted. Through a series of iterative interactive explorations, the theme facilitates shared experiences that build confidence in communication, exploration, and improvisation.
Building a Shared Discursive Space.
Within this process, participants are able to contribute to the group story utilizing modes of communication most comfortable and accessible to them. Make Space gives people space and freedom to find and utilize their voice, whatever shape or form that voice might take. Everyone, regardless of “ability” is able to fully participate in the group process, be seen and be heard by the group, and is an essential and valuable contributor to the space.
Make Space is a collaborative project.
Make Space is built around principles of collaboration and connection. Instead of delivering a tool or resource “to” people living with dementia, Make Space is a framework to integrate people living with dementia as core contributors and owners of their creativity and expression. Through a process of creative listening and group exploration, people living with dementia are centered as prime organizers of the Make Space artistic production.
Share and Share alike.
Based on principles of “open-source” cultural production, Make Space allows for dancers, movement artists, therapists, and creative storytellers to collaborate, share ideas, and exchange resources. The ideas, techniques, and tools developed in Make Space are held in common, to be shared and enjoyed by our entire community. Access to culture is a human right, and necessary to our ability to build and access community. As creative allies to people living with dementia we recognize the right to culture and expression.
Get in touch:
If you are interested in learning more about Make Space, please get in touch!
Chris (he/him): iamdirect@gmail.com