We are celebrating three years of our pioneering work for people with dementia by staging a major two-day festival from May 17-18.

Creative Adventures in Dementia will show how our A Life More Ordinary project has touched the lives of people living with dementia, their friends and families.

The festival will also provide opportunities to share and discover some of the groundbreaking ways that the arts help in the better understanding of dementia.

It will include keynote speakers, performances and workshops by some of the most pioneering artists, practitioners, researchers and extraordinary people, working collaboratively with people with dementia, in a variety of unique ways.

Among the speakers will be actor John Middleton who will talk about what he learnt about living with dementia while playing Emmerdale vicar, Ashley Thomas; Wendy Mitchell, author of Somebody I Used To Know, the first memoir written by someone living with dementia, now a Sunday Times bestseller; and journalist and author Nicci Gerrard, co-founder of John’s Campaign for the right to stay with people with dementia in hospitals and for the right of people with dementia to be supported by their family carers.

The performances will include the transformation of The Dukes Centre for Creative Learning into a village fete by Still Me, our own multi-arts group for people with early stage dementia.

Our Inclusive Film and Theatre Officer and festival organiser, Gil Graystone, said: “Staging a national event like this is an exciting development for The Dukes.  Please join us to explore, share and discover how the arts are revealing new ways of entering the world of people living with dementia and helping them to continue enjoying richer fuller lives.”

Creative Adventures in Dementia is open to people living with dementia, family, friends, health and care professionals, artists, researchers and clinical commissioning teams.

A photographic exhibition reflecting on three years of A Life More Ordinary at The Dukes and at some of the 15 venues it has been rolled out to nationwide runs in our gallery from March 26-May 19.

For more information about the festival and to book tickets, contact our box office on 01524 598501 or e-mail:  tickets@dukes-lancaster.org