Thriving together: A symposium on couplehood, arts participation and dementia.

This two-day symposium brought together academics, practitioners, as well as couples and individuals living with dementia who have a shared interest in how arts participation might be facilitated to better support couples living with dementia. The primary goal was to support a shift in research focus; from investigating the behaviours of individuals living with dementia outside of their everyday context, to supporting them in their interactions and relationships with significant others. Over 50 people attended each day. The presentations, roundtable discussion, and workshops took this relational perspective in several directions, such as using the arts to bridge relationship gaps, redevelop cultural and community identity, support a sense of purpose and meaning, support agency in a social context, and provide measurable, long-lasting effects beyond the artistic encounter.

Organisers: Justin Chrisensen, Landon Peck, Jennifer MacRitchie and Renee Timmers

This symposium was organised as part of the Music, dementia and technology research project.