Finding our voice: participatory arts research with people living with dementia in residential care

In this article the authors outline a design and delivery of a participatory performance project, which took place in a Kilmarnock care home for people living with dementia (PLWD). In designing the project, the researchers aimed to improve the quality of lives of PLWD through a focus on the active agency of the participants and the co-creation of performance material. Over a period of five weeks in autumn 2023, the care home residents engaged in weekly performance workshops, which offered them opportunities to become ‘performers’. As we demonstrate, their participation in this innovative project enhanced their agency, confidence and overall well-being. In concluding, the authors present a positive case for participant agency being central to project design and make some recommendations for best practices when working with PLWD in care home settings, therefore enhancing their overall quality of life.