New art exhibit brings Dementia and Imagination to Bangor
Preparing the paint at a Dementia & Imagination art workshop.Can art improve quality of life and well-being for people living with dementia? Might it even have wider social and community benefits? And if it does make a difference, how does it do this - and why?
These are just some of the questions the Dementia and Imagination research, led by the Dementia Services Development Centre at Bangor University, is addressing. Part of this work sees an exciting collaboration between Dementia and Imagination and Age Cymru and finds artwork from the research exhibited in Bangor for the first time.
Age Cymru has opened up their Bangor shop (299 High Street, Bangor) to the study, providing use of their shop window and wall space to exhibit work made by participants in the North Wales area of the study. Ruth Jones, Age Cymru’s Retail Development Officer, says:
“We’re thrilled to be involved in such an innovative and exciting exhibition. As the national charity for older people in Wales, Age Cymru has a long standing history of campaigning and supporting older people affected by dementia, as well as families and carers. We also run an annual arts festival called Gwanwyn which celebrates creativity in later life and so the synergy with Bangor University’s Dementia and Imagination project is perfect. I would encourage everyone to take the opportunity to view this exhibition in our Age Cymru Bangor shop.”
Art work produced by participants in the study from North Wales has been exhibited in galleries in Denbighshire following 12 weeks of engagement in 
Work from one of the Dementia & Imagination art workshops.viewing and making art with a professional artist. This exhibition will take the work to a new location and provide an opportunity for a new audience to see the work first hand.
Siân Green of Denbighshire County Council’s Art service commented:
"Denbighshire County Council Arts Service is pleased to have contributed to the important research made by Dementia and Imagination. It is great to see artworks created by some of Denbighshire's residents living with dementia shown here in Bangor. We hope that the exhibition will engage a new audience and highlight the work being made by organisations here in north Wales and further afield."
The exhibition is being expertly curated by Denbighshire County Council Arts Service, collaborative partners in North Wales. The exhibit will be on display from August 26th until September 13th. The shop is open Monday to Saturday 9am – 5pm.
There will be an opportunity to meet members of the research team and staff from Denbighshire County Council Arts Service to find out more about the research and future art activities taking place in the region. This special event will take place on Wednesday 26th August at 11am in the Age Cymru shop on Bangor High Street. For more details contact: imagination@bangor.ac.uk
Publication date: 19 August 2015