DRAMA WITH A DIFFERENCE
Nostalgic | Interactive | Collaborative | Inter-Generational | Inclusive | Lots of Fun!
GBHI - Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute
Karen Meenan is beyond thrilled to be working as an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute based in Trinity College Dublin. The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) supports value-based leadership in science, art and policy to improve dementia care and advance brain health. Every 3 seconds there is 1 new case of dementia. 152 million people worldwide will be living with dementia by 2050. GBHI fellows and faculty in over 40 countries around the world are working to tackle dementia.
MISA - Creative Artist in Residence at St James's Hospital, Dublin
Karen is delighted to be working with Roisin Nevin, Creative Life Coordinator in Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) as a Creative Artist in Residence. She is facilitating Reminiscence Workshops with patients and staff members in St James's Hospital, funded by Creative Ireland, a Government Led Scheme
MAKING HAY - Creative Ireland Funded Reminiscence Theatre Fingal Schools Project
St Joseph's School, Rush was the hub of theatrical and reminiscence workshops in winter 2019/2020 resulting in the performance of 'The Lost in Time Bookshop' with Tony Curtis, poet and member of Aosdána. This intergenerational dementia-inclusive project funded by Creative Ireland featured 4th year students in St Joseph's School led by TY Coordinator Ciarán Read and older local residents who were members of the 'Friendly Voices' Choir.
NEAR FM - 'Voyage Around My Brain' and 'Reminiscence on the Radio'
Karen works as a volunteer in Near FM based in Coolock in North Dublin. She is a researcher, presenter and producer of two radio series which were broadcast in 2020. 'Reminiscence on the Radio' is a twenty-part series which features the years from 1950 to 1970 with studio guests who shared stories, songs, memories and recited poetry. Guests included singers, poets, musicians, carers and people living with dementia - and that was the point - nobody could tell the difference - can you?http://nearfm.ie/podcast/?s=reminiscence
http://nearfm.ie/podcast/?s=voyage
Karen was honoured and delighted to receive a Gold Social Benefit award at the 2020 Community Radio Ireland Achievement Awards in November 2020.
Making Hay Theatre was honoured and thrilled to host the first ever international European Reminiscence Network conference to be held in Ireland in Dublin 1-4 May 2019. The ‘Theatre of Memory’ Conference celebrated four days of workshops, lectures, presentations and exhibitions in the Marine Hotel, Sutton with participants and speakers from 15 countries world-wide. Speakers travelled from Singapore to Sweden to share their experiences of creative ageing through song, dance, music, film, photography, poetry, theatre, memory boxes, oral histories, workshops, graphic memoirs, drumming… who knew there were so many ways to connect with a community! All workshops were wheelchair friendly, international, inter-generational and most importantly dementia-inclusive. My huge thanks to everyone who supported this event through sponsorship, participation and engagement!
Browse our packed programme to learn more. If you want copies of any of the presentations please email karen@makinghaytheatre.ie with your request. Visit this link for photos and videos of each session (available courtesy of Kjell Elenius - thank you Kjell!).
We are most grateful to our sponsors:
- Age-Friendly University Global Network
- Dublin City Council
- DCU
- European Reminiscence Network
- EY
- Fáilte Ireland
- Fingal County Council
- Home Instead Senior Care
- Howth Yacht Club
- Making Hay Theatre
- Mattress Mick
- Una Healy Design
- The Alzheimer Society of Ireland
- Baldoyle Print
- Engaging Dementia
- Marine Hotel
- MISA (St James’ Hospital)
- Reminiscence Theatre Archive
- University of Greenwich
Karen Meenan
Founder
