TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the theoretical foundations of visual art programmes for people living with dementia
AU - Windle, Gill
AU - Gregory, Samantha
AU - Howson-Griffiths, Teri
AU - Newman, Andrew
AU - O’Brien, Dave
AU - Goulding, Anna
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Dementia and Imagination was funded as ‘Dementia and imagination: connecting communities and developing well-being through socially engaged visual arts practice’, Grant Ref: AH/K00333X/1, by the AHRC and ESRC as a part of the Cross-Council Connected Communities Programme. (Principal Investigator G. Windle; Co-Investigators A. Newman, C. Parkinson, V. Burholt, M. Baber, V. Tischler, B. Hounsome, D. O’Brien, B. Woods, R. T. Edwards). Many thanks to B. Hounsome for his role as co-investigator in the first year.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2017.
PY - 2018/8/1
Y1 - 2018/8/1
N2 - Despite the growing international innovations for visual arts interventions in dementia care, limited attention has been paid to their theoretical basis. In response, this paper explores how and why visual art interventions in dementia care influence changes in outcomes. The theory building process consists of a realist review of primary research on visual art programmes. This aims to uncover what works, for whom, how, why and in what circumstances. We undertook a qualitative exploration of stakeholder perspectives of art programmes, and then synthesised these two pieces of work alongside broader theory to produce a conceptual framework for intervention development, further research and practice. This suggests effective programmes are realised through essential attributes of two key conditions (provocative and stimulating aesthetic experience; dynamic and responsive artistic practice). These conditions are important for cognitive, social and individual responses, leading to benefits for people with early to more advanced dementia. This work represents a starting point at identifying theories of change for arts interventions, and for further research to critically examine, refine and strengthen the evidence base for the arts in dementia care. Understanding the theoretical basis of interventions is important for service development, evaluation and implementation.
AB - Despite the growing international innovations for visual arts interventions in dementia care, limited attention has been paid to their theoretical basis. In response, this paper explores how and why visual art interventions in dementia care influence changes in outcomes. The theory building process consists of a realist review of primary research on visual art programmes. This aims to uncover what works, for whom, how, why and in what circumstances. We undertook a qualitative exploration of stakeholder perspectives of art programmes, and then synthesised these two pieces of work alongside broader theory to produce a conceptual framework for intervention development, further research and practice. This suggests effective programmes are realised through essential attributes of two key conditions (provocative and stimulating aesthetic experience; dynamic and responsive artistic practice). These conditions are important for cognitive, social and individual responses, leading to benefits for people with early to more advanced dementia. This work represents a starting point at identifying theories of change for arts interventions, and for further research to critically examine, refine and strengthen the evidence base for the arts in dementia care. Understanding the theoretical basis of interventions is important for service development, evaluation and implementation.
KW - arts and related therapy
KW - creativity
KW - dementia
KW - theory
KW - wellbeing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050682538&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1471301217726613
DO - 10.1177/1471301217726613
M3 - Article
C2 - 28914090
AN - SCOPUS:85050682538
SN - 1471-3012
VL - 17
SP - 702
EP - 727
JO - Dementia
JF - Dementia
IS - 6
ER -