Reminiscence Theatre - Making Hay Reminiscence Theatre Company Ireland

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Reminiscence Theatre

DRAMA WITH A DIFFERENCE
Nostalgic | Interactive | Collaborative | Inter-Generational | Inclusive | Lots of Fun!

Karen Meenan founder of Making Hay Reminiscence Theatre Company talks to Noel McGuinness Near FM Radio about the theatre, reminiscence workshops and membership of the European Reminiscence Network.  Listen here
Reminiscence Theatre celebrates the memories of older people. Our goal is to stimulate shared memories in our seniors through reminiscence workshops and improvisation sessions in nursing homes, day care centres and active retirement groups.  Similar workshops are held in schools to celebrate the shared memories of our children and teenagers. These dementia-inclusive workshops form the basis of inter-generational theatre suitable for young and old audiences.
 
Making Hay Reminiscence Theatre Company Ireland is a collaboration between young and old through the medium of sensory sessions using touch, taste, smell, sound and sight memories.  
 
Making Hay was officially launched at the start of Positive Ageing Week, on Monday 25th September 2017 in the Mansion House by Lord Mayor Mícheál Mac Donncha.
 
Pam Schweitzer MBE, director of European Reminiscence Network and founder of Age Exchange Theatre Company London was key note speaker.
 
Reminiscence sessions are recorded to accurately capture the words and experiences of seniors to create reminiscence theatre from these stories using professional actors. "I have personal experiential evidence from my own mother (who died of Alzheimer’s disease) with her mood improvement following weekly involvement with The Forget-Me-Nots dementia-inclusive choir which I was instrumental in setting up in 2014".
 
‘We Were All Young Once’ is the first Making Hay co-creation – this collaborative work by Karen Meenan had its world premiere in Axis Ballymun on 7th November. Due to sell-out performances for both shows in November, Axis Ballymun invited ‘We Were All Young Once’ to return on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th February 2018 for four more shows (2pm and 8pm daily). The play was seen by 1,138 people, with a huge thanks to all audience members young and old who came along for these sell-out performances. 

To learn more about the provenance and making of this play listen to RTE1 Today with Sean O'Rourke when it was featured on 27th January 2018. It was also featured as Gaeilge on An Bricfeasta Blasta Raidio na Life on 29th January 2018 and on NearFM with Noel McGuinness on January 26th 2018. 

 
Karen Meenan
Founder
 
Senior Drama! Major Fun!
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Making Hay Reminiscence Theatre Company Ireland
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