An Artist in a Pandemic

Between September 2020 and May 2022, artists Nicky Bellenger, Lindsey Warnes-Carroll and Lisa Waugh worked creatively with people living with dementia via telephone calls and activities in the post.

Arts Derbyshire’s Matinée Outreach project was a direct response to the isolation caused by the pandemic. When Arts Derbyshire were no longer able to run their dementia-friendly film screenings, they recruited the artists in order to find a way of connecting creatively with those who were most in need:

“We were coming into contact with people whose dementia was progressing more rapidly than anticipated; carers who were at breaking point; families who had only just received a diagnosis and were receiving little support; and people who were feeling low, craving contact and something to stimulate them.”

Nicky Bellenger

You can read more about the project here.

Since the completion of the project, artist Nicky Bellenger has spent time reflecting on her experiences; sharing the highs and lows of working this way throughout the pandemic in a reflective essay, ‘A View from a Window’.

You can read Nicky's reflections here: View From a Window Nicky Bellenger

Similarly, you can read poet Philip Davenport's reflections on another of Arts Derbyshire's arts and health projects, A Necklace of Stars, here.