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Jack & Jill Solo Performance

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Skimstone Arts Theatre Company presents ‘Jack and Jill’; a solo performance exploring stories about life changes when a loved one experiences a diagnosis of early onset dementia. How can we continue in our everyday lives of relationships, domestic activity and worship when coping with loss of memory and who we meant to be…?

This 20 minute performance is drawn from a sensitive, humorous and challenging multimedia touring theatre performance, with original music and projection; entitled Jack and Jill & the Red Postbox, which had toured at theatres, arts and health venues across the UK, and a former play and training film with the same title from 2013-2016.

The piece was inspired by 89 anonymous transcripts, collected in a research project in Northumberland: The Risk and Resilience: Living with dementia’ project, which provided rich and emotive material for the fictionalised script and enabled a strong partnership team with  Professor Charlotte Clarke DSocSc PhD MSc PGCE BA RN, Head of the School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh and Dr Cathy Bailey, Senior Research Fellow, International Ageing, Northumbria University

The stories, characters and plot are based upon common themes which help us to explore questions involving changes in identity, sense of place, and roles within community and society.

Additional research was carried out by Skimstone Arts Theatre Company, collecting stories from friends, families and the public about the challenges, special moments and changes in relationships, when living with family members diagnosed with dementia.

Audience Feedback

“Thank you so much for the absolutely splendid performance for the Malcolm Goldsmith Lecture… everyone said how moved they were an how much it brought home the issues for them. There was more discussion and participation – from the heart – than at any of the other lectures. I look forward to discussing where we might go in the future as I would like to make this part of our creative approach to dementia friendly work.” Maureen O’Neill, Director, Faith in Older People

“A moving and beautifully crafted performance which engaged audience members from the outset. Powerful acting and masterful use of audio-visual effects transported us from our windowless conference plenary room, and we were taken on a journey with Jill and her family. This was a moving and educational experience, encouraging empathy and an understanding of the experience of dementia that just wouldn’t be possible with more traditional-style lectures or publications.” Mark Hazelwood (Chief Executive, Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care) and Rebecca Patterson (Policy & Communications Manager, Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care)

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