Reminiscence workshops

Since 1997, Forest Forge has run regular weekly sessions at Salisbury District Hospital, working with day-care and in-patients at the Peter Gillum Centre Hospice. Many one -off, inter-generational projects have also been conducted, using reminiscence and basic drama techniques with elderly people to inspire, invigorate and entertain large or small groups of participants. The company also has a history of developing theatre productions aimed specifically at a care home and homes for the elderly audience.

Our work at Salisbury Hospice began with reminiscence workshops. Simple ‘memory-jogging’ tools such as pictures, props or costumes were used to get the ball rolling, and the stories and memories would soon come flooding out. The stories would then be taken and turned into a play with music that would tour to homes for the elderly. This work was such a success that the company was invited to lead an arts and health project consisting of weekly workshops, this initial 12- month project is now in its fourteenth year. Similar projects have since been run in other hospices in the region.

Work often begins with personal reminiscence, taking an elderly person back to a time of happiness and vitality in their lives can be very invigorating. The stimulating effect this memory and creativity can have on a tired and perhaps downcast person is often extremely apparent; colour returning to cheeks, sparkle in eyes and laughter ringing out. The reminiscence work has developed to a point where one-off workshops with care homes happen on a regular basis. , Often often working with clients with dementia or Alzheimer’s, unlocking doors in people’s minds and accessing memories long since buried. One example of this was a visit to a care home in Andover recently. When we arrived we were told: “Our guests are 90% Alzheimer’s, you won’t get much out of them.” However, within minutes a lively conversation was in progress and we found it hard to end the session as people had so much to say. Workshop participants often surprise themselves with what they can remember.

Sessions look at ways of releasing people’s imaginations in a safe and supportive atmosphere. The primary aim of a session is for the group to have fun. We create stories, imagine characters, play games and perhaps even write poetry together. The work is done as a group; we position chairs in a circle. We go round the circle as we encourage contributions but we make it clear that people only contribute if they want to. They always do!

The workshop leader will bring in some inspirational starting point such as a photograph or a painting, music or item of clothing, then lead the group in developing ideas from these stimuli. The work is often ‘character-led’; participants are encouraged to slowly build up a profile of a character by answering questions posed.
A participant can get very attached to their creation, with strong opinions about how they feel or behave. Once we have well developed characters we explore situations. The workshop leader carefully takes the group through scenarios that are open-ended so as to allow the story to develop as the group dictates. The workshop leader takes notes throughout and then reads back to the group to keep everyone informed. During a project that runs for several weeks characters can be developed, stories expanded, scenes or short plays can be written, and the group then reads these together, often slipping into performance.

One participant once described the sessions as a chance for him to remove the strait jacket. An elderly or ill person can often feel trapped in their condition. They may feel pretty useless with little to give. This can be particularly difficult for those who led very active lives but are now confined to a chair and reliant on others for support. As the body weakens it is only natural that people might feel generally less useful. The workshops Forest Forge runs put emphasis on people’s latent creativity and show that an active, enquiring mind and a sense of humour can overcome any physical challenge. We have worked with people with motor neurone disease who struggle with speech and cannot move from the head down, yet still find they can contribute to or even lead the creative process of story making. Obviously this can be a hugely rewarding experience.

The sessions allow the individual to play and create in a way they may not have done for years – this is a real liberation. The work increases self-esteem and confidence at a time in many of their lives when they may be feeling worn out and of little use to society. The work often tends towards the safety of fantasy; a person can forget their own problems for a while and concentrate on the lives of a group of invented characters. This escape can be so important when a person’s life might otherwise seem humdrum and repetitive, even worrying. Another side of the work involves participants confronting problems or fears they might have through the safety of invented characters. We often find that stories revolve around challenges that characters have to overcome to progress. Although we do not explore a participant’s specific fears or problems, (we are not drama therapists), we often observe that a character’s fictional overcoming of obstacles can bring well-being and joy to its creator.

Being old or ill can be a lonely experience. We have found that regular sessions help to forge bonds between group members that can be so supportive to an individual. Even in an environment such as a hHospice, where group members die from time to time, the bond between the group members becomes so strong that they help each other through hard times. People have told us in the past that the sessions are the highlight of their weeks. It’s where they can come and play, be a bit silly and nobody will mind. Working together towards a common goal is something they may have forgotten, it is an experience that can give strength to a person, making them feel important and needed.