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Can a novel theater center reveal new ways for individuals with dementia to be involved in dementia research and therapy?
Nicky Taylor, Ph.D.
Leeds Beckett University
Leeds, United Kingdom
Background
As the number of individuals living with dementia grows worldwide, there is an increasing need to develop novel methods for improving how they are engaged in dementia research. Traditional research practices are often developed without taking into account the perspectives and ideas of individuals who undertake the research. This lack of creative involvement by individuals with dementia may result in dementia treatments that are insufficiently sensitive to their needs. In recent years, researchers have been working more collaboratively with individuals with dementia to devise better, more innovative ways of studying the disease and improving these individuals’ quality of life.
Research Plan
Dr. Nicky Taylor and colleagues will develop a novel center that uses theater to explore the role of dementia in people’s lives and advance dementia research. Their center will be created as a “co-production,” involving input from academics, theater professionals and individuals with dementia. Investigators will recruit up to 12 participants with dementia, along with their caregivers and supporters, as part of the center’s development team. This team will establish how the theater and research center will work, and how individuals with dementia will collaborate in the operation of the center. Throughout the process, Dr. Taylor and colleagues will observe and interview the participants and determine how the collaboration process affects their quality of life and sense of purpose.
Impact
This study will shed new light on the role individuals living with dementia can play in research development, and how such involvement can be used to improve dementia care practices. If successful, Dr. Taylor’s center could produce theatrical plays that tour internationally and raise awareness of how individuals with dementia can have greater agency in their own lives.
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