Panelists Caitlin Machak, Arlieta Hall, Flacko Jimenez, and Dr. Marc Rothman discuss the impact of dementia on various ethnic communities. Photo by Jacqui Wedewer
(NEW YORK, NY) -- On Thursday, April 11, 2024, the dementia community came together to celebrate innovation and creativity at the Dementia ARTS Festival, hosted by a consortium of organizations, including Bob & Diane Fund and Alz Authors, and led by the Dementia Spring Foundation.
About 120 attended one of two performance slots, a matinee—free to those living with dementia and their caregivers and adapted for accessibility to this audience—and an evening performance at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater & West Side YMCA in New York City. Both performances showcased the work of visual and performing artists who are telling unique, ground-breaking stories of dementia like Sam Simon, Arlieta Hall, and Jess King.
Amid performances and refreshments, those in attendance also found time to connect and share their dementia journeys with others who are walking a similar path, who are serving those who are living with dementia and their caregivers, or who advocate for those who are living with dementia. Several vendors, including sponsors Lizzy Care and Renewal Memory Partners, were also in attendance to provide resources to this community and answer questions.
Support of the arts in dementia care by organizations like Dementia Spring, which aims to change the narrative around dementia and dementia care through contextual, marketing, and monetary support (Dementia Spring cultivates several partnerships with artists annually with its Dementia Arts Impact Award) is supported by donors who see the value in this mission. Interested individuals can join this collective action by donating here.
Dementia Spring would like to thank its partners, Bob & Diane Fund and Alz Authors, and led by the Dementia Spring Foundation.
In the span of a few hours, attendees were treated to:
* A debut private screening of the new short film Gloria by San Francisco-based actress Kim Blanck, staring Emily Kuroda of Gilmore Girls fame (Mrs. Kim)
* Excerpts from Dementia Man, An Existential Journey, the one-man play by Sam Simon, a Virginia-based man who himself has a diagnosis of Alzheimer's
* A keynote by Kitty Norton, of Oregon, creator of the documentary Wine, Women & Dementia, which chronicles the challenges of caregiving
* A tasting of the Mercedes Project by Brooklyn-based poet, activist, and performance artist Flako Jimenez
* The hilarious rapport of emcee, Arlieta Hall, a Chicago-based improv comedian, actress, and creator of Finding Your Laughter, who kept the audience engaged and in stitches
* A performance of Here and Now, by singer-songwriter Jess King, the first in the United States for the artist who splits her time between LA and Paris
* Panel discussions on dementia within your community and the connection between dementia and the arts
The Dementia Spring Foundation is a bridge between the dementia and arts communities. They fund artists and arts organizations doing original and programmatic work with the dementia community, they raise awareness, and we inspire creativity and joy among people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia Spring highlights a new artist every week through their Dementia Arts Spotlight Series. They provide annual grants to artists and arts organizations through our Dementia Arts Impact Awards. And, annually, their Dementia ARTS Festival brings together the artistic and dementia communities to celebrate the impact that the visual and performing arts can have on the lives of those with dementia, their families, and caregivers.
