Our dementia toolkit contains tried and tested methods for meaningful and fun ways of connecting creatively, with a focus on puppetry. Yes, that’s right! Puppetry! The dementia toolkit contains an extensive activities booklet, a DVD guide, and materials to make a personal wooden puppet.
Puppetry was originally for adults, to bring news, tell stories, or make social and political comment (with and without words). Puppets have universal appeal because they connect on an emotional level. This becomes more important as cognitive functions change. Puppets create a world between worlds; a meeting space where verbal language, memory and questions don’t have to be present.
People create something of themselves when making our puppets. They tend to connect with their puppet over many years, with moving and positive effect. See more about our research.
You will find the process of making and using the materials creates ways of interacting without pressure to remember words or faces. Our work with puppetry and other art-forms shown in the toolkit receive tremendously positive responses. The dementia toolkit motivates and empowers people to connect with confidence and joyfulness.
The key aspects of the Toolkit enable you to achieve fresh connections with your loved one or person you care for. Carers report increased quality time with the person they care for. The Toolkit promotes self-expression, which supports individual identity and reduces stress. It aids communication in powerful ways throughout the whole process of making as well as in using puppetry afterwards. Anyone can participate, no matter his or her ability. Creativity is all-inclusive.