Since our conception in 2015, Moving Waves has been led by the mission to bring the joy of the arts to people across society. Music, drama and art do wonders to promote people's wellbeing and mental health, and that is no different for people with dementia. In 2022 we were nominated as Dementia Heroes by the Alzheimers Society for our work with people living with dementia, bring performing arts to care homes across the city.
We run sessions across London for people with dementia, taking place in care homes, sheltered housing, and private homes. Our aim is to provide enriching and creative sessions that help people living with dementia flourish. We also engage with the dementia community in London, regularly attend community events, and recently wrote a book about activities for people with dementia. It's something we're really passionate about, and wanted to share some of the work we do.
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The Moving Waves team is made up of talented facilitators, who have backgrounds in a range of arts areas, including Drama, Music, Story telling, Yoga and Art & Crafts. Our team members have experience working in care homes and with dementia patients, so are able to plan engaging sessions that adapt to the specific needs of each participant.
Arts and Crafts: These workshops provide a creative space for relaxation, conversation, and personal storytelling. Participants engage in craft activities tailored to various abilities, promoting brain activity and mental engagement. The sessions offer a chance for creativity and self-expression in a supportive environment.
Yoga and Seated Exercise: Focused on flexibility and mindfulness, these sessions encourage gentle movement and physical activity. Tailored to participants’ abilities, they help improve mental health, reduce the risk of falls, and enhance cognitive function, contributing to overall physical and social well-being.
Storytelling: Storytelling sessions allow residents to explore creativity and share personal experiences. Whether imagining fantastical journeys or reflecting on real-life memories, these sessions enhance cognitive function, self-expression, and social interaction, enriching the participants’ quality of life.
Sing-Along Sessions: These sessions celebrate music’s ability to connect people and evoke memories. Residents participate in themed sing-alongs, with songs from holidays or classic eras like the 1950s and 1960s. Led by experienced facilitators, these sessions encourage singing, clapping, and tapping, promoting enjoyment and boosting well-being through music.
We often attend events in London focused on the wellbeing of people with dementia, and the provision of activities for homes and sheltered housing in the local area.
We work closely with Dementia Friendly Haringey, who host frequent events centred around provisions for people with dementia. Most recently, we attended their coffee morning to chat with people in the community and with other service providers about the different ways in which we can all advocate for people with dementia.
Our director Tina gave a speech about what we offer at Moving Waves, and how people with dementia can benefit from drama, dance, music and creative exercise.
An exciting next step in our mission to advocate for dementia patients is the launch of our book! A group of facilitators at Moving Waves collaborated to write a book, Beyond the Walls: Creative Ways of Living With Dementia
It details over 100 activities for people with dementia or people caring for those with dementia; activities that will help boost creativity, promote an active lifestyle and most importantly provide joy.
As well as the activities, the book details the props and tools that help maximise these sessions, and acknowledges the varied experiences and capabilities of people with dementia.
We're very excited to share it with you soon!
If you know someone living with dementia who you think would benefit from our sessions, please get in touch! Whether that be in a care home group setting, or for a 1-1 session in their home, we would love to bring our expertise and passion to help improve their routine. Email Honor at info@movingwaves.org or call us on 0204 602 2870.
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