Charity uses the power of the arts to transform lives of older and vulnerable people

The charity Create has only been going just over a decade and in that time it has managed to change the lives of thousands of older and vulnerable people.

It has done this by putting on workshops led by professional musicians, dancers, writers, artists and playwrights designed to inspire self-esteem, confidence, trust and an understanding of others.

Create works with seven priority groups: disabled children and adults; young patients; young and adult carers; vulnerable older people; marginalised children and adults, victims of domestic violence, sex workers and those who experience substance abuse plus schoolchildren in areas of deprivation and young and adult offenders.

Florence, aged 73, who recently took part in a Create project for the over 65s in West London, to create art to decorate their day care centre, found the project has really boosted her confidence and helped to combat her anxiety.

“At first I was really worried about going to this project. I thought, I’m not ready to do this, and it was awful, sitting there and waiting. But by the end of it, I felt much better – I’d done something. I got a bit better each time as the weeks went by.

“The first time I sat down and drew a big, big shell. My nerves were shocking – you couldn’t see it, but it was there. It’s like some kind of phobia but you have to fight it. Create gave me confidence,” she said.

Project gave sense of empowerment

Create ran the project to decorate the centre, which had moved from Miranda Barry Centre to Chamberlain House Dementia Resource Centre, to give them a sense of control over their space and environment. Artist Helena Roden worked with the older people to create butterflies and cocoons to decorate the centre. Art was also brought from the old centre and combined with the new to act as a reminder of the past.

Seventy-five-year-old Nina, who also took part in the art project found it taught her a lot and said: “The favourite thing that I did was the printing. And I liked learning how to make things from felt. I’ve also never painted on silk before which was another thing that we did.

“I’ve worked lots of memories into the wall hanging we’re making. There was this one time when I fell down the escalator, I drew that in the first workshop as my memory. I was in Gibraltar. And I did this other memory of a crab biting me, when we were talking about memories of the sea! I was in the Holy Land and I went paddling. I didn’t realise that there was something on my foot and when I did I screamed!

“I was there for last year’s Create project and got a certificate for that. It’s at home. It makes me feel better. I showed my sister a photo of the memory tree we did last time and she was delighted! I really look forward to the workshops. They calm you, you feel at ease. I don’t want to go home when the bus comes at the end of the day.”

Helps tackles loneliness

The project, as well as giving older people a sense of ownership over the day centre, addressed social isolation, according to Create. Recent estimates by Age UK suggest that over one million people aged 65 and over are often or always lonely, and half of older people rely solely on the television for company.

“Day care centres enable people to live independently for longer in their own homes, and this project brings these people together to meet new people, work as a team, engage in stimulating creative activities and make art,” said Create’s spokeswoman.

Another of Create’s projects is called Memories and Tales which is targeted at vulnerable, older people. The aim of the project is to promote creativity, reduce isolation and enable the participants to develop communication skills, teamwork and trust.

The workshops take place at day care centres so older people can take part in stimulating, creative sessions that help them to maintain their cognitive ability, develop new skills and enjoy a sense of wellbeing. The stories told in the sessions form lyrics for music and the group then create their own songs, soundscapes and instrumental pieces.

Grace, 78, who came to London from Guiana in 1957 and took part in the project found “singing makes you feel better, it makes you feel young. I like all the songs, this is a medicine, one for aches and pains, and it is a wonderful thing. It’s something to live for!”

She added: “Create has helped me to remember what I used to do and the things I have achieved with my life. We like to reminisce.”

Another group of people that Create does valuable work with are carers. There are over 6.5m people in the UK looking after family and friends who are older, disabled or seriously ill. More than 80 per cent of carers say that their caring role has damaged their health, with only eight per cent reporting that they have taken a break from these responsibilities.

Create identified the need for carers to take some much needed ‘me time’ and set up a project called Creative Voices to give adult carers the opportunity to learn jewellery-making, writing and visual art skills.

Project made her 'proud of being a carer'

Nancy, 51, a single mum, cares for her daughter with severe mental ill-health. Nancy revealed that before coming to Creative Voices, she was struggling to cope and even contemplated suicide. After the project she said: “This has definitely changed me. Negativity and bad experiences can be made into positive experiences when you’ve got time to reflect on them. I now think: “I’m a carer, I’m proud of being a carer, this is what my experience is and actually I’m also a writer!” This is really important, because once you’ve lost your sense of self, if you can’t carry on, what’s going to happen to the person you care for?”

For more information on Create go to http://www.createarts.org.uk/