Number 63 in our countdown of '70 Ways Art Improves Our Health' highlights how art can help improve quality of life for people with dementia...

Dementia is a condition involving memory loss and other symptoms. These other symptoms can include difficulty in understanding and speaking, difficulty in performing day-to-day tasks, and changes in personality, behaviour and mood.

Around 850,000 people in the UK are estimated to be living with dementia. And there will be two million of us living with it by 2050.

A participant in the Dementia and Imagination project. Find out more at the Imagination Cafe this month.

Art has a powerful part to play in many aspects of dementia. A 2014 study into the effects of creative arts therapies on dementia found they helped to: delay the onset of the condition, diminish its severity, and improve quality of life for people living with dementia (including their carers).

Last year’s Creative Health report notes that:

“there are many different types of dementia and everyone will have a different journey, but creative activity has more flexibility to address that complexity than generic therapies or drugs.”

The Imagination Cafe comes to our very own Menier Gallery from 14 May 2018, spreading the word about creative, evidence-based approaches to dementia care, and showcasing the artwork of people living with dementia. The pop-up installation will also include artist training for those who want to work in dementia care. Find out more here.

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Banner image: From the Dementia and Imagination project.