The ripple effect: connecting with dementia through our riverside Trail

We are counting down to opening our riverside trail in Hertford on 21st Sept where the local community can listen to the creative writing soundscape created by artist Alice Blackstock to accompany the textile artwork Can You Draw a River?  We are pleased to be included in the Arts for East Herts showcase and Hertford Eco Fest

The carers walk on Sat 21st Sept will open the trail and we will be meeting outside Hertford Museum at 10.30 am Saturday 21st September. Please email laura@drawingvoices.org to RSVP so we can provide refreshments at the end.

Printed maps will be available from Hertford Library, Hertford Museum or downloadable from here closer to the time.

The ripple effect: connecting with dementia through our riverside Trail

We are thrilled to present a riverside trail in Hertford where the local community can listen to the creative writing soundscape created by artist Alice Blackstock to accompany the textile artwork Can You Draw a River?  This will go live on the 21st September and to open the event we have organised a Carers walk as part of the Arts in East Showcase We will be meeting outside Hertford Museum at 10.30 am Saturday 21st September.

This will then run as a self-guided until 31st October. Printed maps will be available from Hertford Library or downloadable from here closer to the time.

 

This is a 1 mile gentle walk along the River Lea for all carers (not just those affected by demenita) to meet, chat and enjoy the audio trail that has been made for the project "The Ripple Effect: Connecting with Dementia". The 6 tracks you will hear along the trail form a piece of creative writing, read by the artist, that partners the high-quality textile artwork  "Can You Draw a River?".

This work was created collaboratively by lead artist Alice Blackstock with 60 people whose lives are affected by dementia in 3 Hertfordshire communities. We are hoping to finish the walk by viewing the textile artwork at a nearby location TBC (it is a large work at 4mx2.5m so we still looking for a venue). The walk and riverside audio trail should be 45 mins including stopping points. 

Please bring a smart phone with headphones connected to access the QR codes on the route.  Alternatively, there will be a limited number or audio devices & headphones available to reserve please contact laura@drawingvoices.org

The Ripple Effect: Connecting with dementia

Spring 2024 saw the start of the Ripple Effect project, which was conceived and directed by Drawing Voices working with lead artist Alice Blackstock and Hertfordshire-based dementia service, Hertswise.

This project delivered sessions in Spring 2024 across three Hertfordshire communities and included people experiencing dementia, their carers and support staff. Inspired by the theme of ‘water’, Alice Blackstock led participants through a series of targeted creative activities designed to encourage interaction, self-expression and community-building, culminating in the creation of Can You Draw a River?

The ripple effect of the project is now spreading outwards. Since the sessions, a poetic soundscape has been created by the artist to complement the piece, and the work will be exhibited in October 2024 at the Drawing Rooms, Bermondsey. Through this exhibition, as well as via a high-quality digital version of the artwork, a documentary and a riverside trail, members of the public will be encouraged to reflect and gain a fresh perspective on this vulnerable group within their own communities. 

“Thank you for the hard work of all the facilitators, their care, preparation of activities and attention in creating the sessions for us. Their natural interpersonal skills in helping clients and carers feel relaxed throughout. Their friendliness and approachability was appreciated by all, thank you”

— Hertswise Group Leader

More about Can You Draw a River?

This large textile artwork at 4x2.5m was woven on a transportable, folding loom to allow participants across three Hertfordshire communities to work collaboratively on one piece. It takes its shape from a sketched response that Alice’s father made during a drawn conversation in the later stages of dementia when he had become non-verbal. The warp and weft of the weave are made from his shirts, which were cut and sewn into 600m of fabric for the project.

Participants worked in a fluid way, choosing which areas to work on, picking colours and bringing their own creative style to the work. You’ll notice that some sections are very neat, while others are more meandering, imprecise and tactile – reflecting the ever-changing nature of rivers in the natural world.

Through collective participation and individual expression, this piece transforms the experience of a single individual into a celebration and a shared voice for people affected by dementia.