Evaluation of cARTrefu - arts in care settings

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Independent Evaluation of cARTrefu - arts in care settings. Objective 2: Impact of art residencies

  • IRAS ID

    177088

  • Contact name

    Katherine Algar

  • Contact email

    k.algar@bangor.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Bangor University

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 3 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    From April 2015, Age Cymru will be delivering a new project, cARTrefu, across care homes in Wales. The project is jointly funded by the Baring Foundation and Arts Council Wales.
    The aims of the project are to increase opportunities for residents and staff to participate in the arts and to develop and mentor artists to deliver sessions for older people in care settings.
    They will be recruiting four lead mentors from each of the following art forms;
    Performing Arts (Dance/Drama), Music, Visual Arts, Words (Poetry/Prose).
    These four mentors will mentor and support a further four artists within each art form; meaning a total of 16 artists will receive mentoring and go onto deliver art sessions in care homes. The artists will receive training and mentoring from their lead mentor at key times throughout the project.
    Each of the 16 artists will deliver weekly two-hour sessions over a period of eight weeks i.e. 2 hours x 8 weeks = residents and staff will receive a total of 16 hours of tuition.
    There will be an opportunity for care homes to receive residencies from more than one artist/art form across the duration of the project (subject to availability).
    The evaluation will be led by the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) Wales at Bangor University and a conference is planned in early 2017 for all involved to share their learning, experiences and best practice.

    The evaluation will include residents, artists, care staff and the wider community. Residents’ mood will be recorded at the beginning and end of each art session, as the primary outcome measure. Focus groups will be held in 8 of the care homes to provide a more in-depth analysis of the effects of the artist residencies.

  • REC name

    Wales REC 5

  • REC reference

    15/WA/0211

  • Date of REC Opinion

    22 Jun 2015

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion