ARTS Uplift CIC which works with Museums Worcestershire has been given a £66,000 boost to take its Suitcase Stories 2 project across the county, including Evesham.
The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England and The Elmley Foundation.
Building on the success of its pilot Suitcase Stories which reached 371 people living with dementia and their carers, the 18 month long project will enable participants to relive memories from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s using music and reminiscence.
These sessions will be in the community and in care homes.
Local artists Heather Wastie and Deborah Rose will be among the musicians involved.
Objects from the handling collection at the County Museum at Hartlebury Castle will provide the inspiration for the reminiscence sessions.
The participants will hold, touch, smell and feel the handling objects such as carbolic soap and pictures of the Royal family to inspire songs for the musicians to perform.
The memories of the adults living with dementia, together with the objects, will inspire the artistic process and content to create a live performance of songs from the minds of Worcestershire residents.
These will then be performed live by the talented musicians, in three dementia cafes – Evesham, Redditch and Kidderminster – connecting residents to their memories using arts and heritage.
