Carmarthen’s Oriel Myrddin Gallery is to host an innovative piece of artwork exploring the frustrations felt by an older care home resident attempting to cope with changes to his daily routine.
The artist, Lizzy Stonhold, who trained at the West Wales College of the Arts, created her piece after spending twelve weeks leading creative workshops with care home staff and residents in west Wales.
The workshops explored repetition and patterns and considered new ways for showing staff rotas and residents’ daily routines.
The artwork was created as part of Age Cymru’s flagship arts in care homes project, cARTrefu, which has been running since 2015. The aim of the project is to improve the range and quality of creative provisions within care homes, improving wellbeing, and leaving care home staff with the confidence and skills to practice creative sessions in their daily work with residents
The Wales-wide project, funded by Arts Council Wales and the Baring Foundation, has now worked with more than 194 care homes, and 3,217 residents, staff and relatives across Wales making the project the largest of its kind in Europe. The work is being showcased within the cARTrefu Cube, a purpose built exhibition space to raise public awareness of creative life in care homes though the art work that has been created with and inspired by the people living and working in care homes as well its visitors. The cARTrefu Cube allows us to exhibit throughout Wales by bringing the work of local artists to the public.”
The cARTrefu co-ordinator, Sarah Lord says: “I would urge anyone who has an interest in understanding the thoughts and aspirations of those who may not have a voice in the conventional sense of the term, for example older people living with dementia, to visit this unique form of artwork. It is a beautiful piece shining a light on the things we all take for granted such as structure and how patterns and visual communication can alleviate stress for those unable to express themselves verbally.”
Gallery Manager Catherine Spring says: “We know here at Oriel Myrddin Gallery how important it is to provide quality creative activity in care homes and the difference it makes to its residents and staff. We’re thrilled to have the cARTrefu Cube right outside the gallery and to help raise awareness. The cARTrefu Cube its getting plenty of attention, the thought-provoking artwork inside is beautiful and leaving some viewers close to tears.”
The cARTrefu Cube will be sited outside the main entrance to the Oriel Myrddin Gallery until 27 February 2020.
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