Join us to discover the main findings from a recent study, “The impact of an improvised music-making training programme on care home staff : a process evaluation”. This research project was made possible through funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Social Care Research.
The event will take place online and will include contributions from members of The University of Manchester research team, the Manchester Camerata Orchestra and the Open Doors Research Group, a self-advocacy group of people living with dementia in Greater Manchester.
This research team has been evaluating the impact of a new online music training programme for care home staff that is based around Manchester Camerata’s Music in Mind programme for people living with dementia. During the study, the team has focused on understanding how the online Music in Mind training has impacted upon the wellbeing of care home staff who have participated in the programme.
Using a range of creative and empowering social research methods, including shared online observations of the online Music in Mind interactive sessions and interviews with care home staff, the team have created a ‘theory of change’ model to visually represent what needs to be in place for this work to be impactful, and for opportunities to enhance practice and wellbeing. Alongside the main findings of the research study and its implications for social care practice, this model will be shared and discussed in the webinar.
Accessibility
BSL interpretation will be provided for this online event
Large print versions of any online documents will be made available
Speakers
Prof John Keady
Professor John Keady is Professor of Older People’s Mental Health Nursing, in The Division of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work at The University of Manchester. John trained as a mental health nurse in Warley Hospital, Brentwood, Essex (1983-1986) before moving to Bangor, North Wales in Autum 1986. Once in North Wales, he held several clinical appointments in dementia care before moving into the University of Wales, Bangor in 1993 to pursue teaching and academic qualifications. John’s Ph.D. was studied part-time (1993-1999) and was focussed on the social construction of dementia as experienced by people with dementia and their families. He moved to the University of Manchester in October 2006 to take up the post of Professor of Older People’s Mental Health Nursing, a joint appointment with Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, and has a long-standing interest in creative social research methods in dementia studies.
Dr Robyn Dowlen
Dr Robyn Dowlen is Teaching and Research Associate in the Division of Psychology & Mental Health. She specializes in understanding ‘in the moment’ experiences of people living with dementia, using a range of participatory and co-creative evaluation practices. Robyn has been immersed in culture and evaluation throughout her career. Previously, Robyn worked for the Centre for Cultural Value as a Post-doctoral Research Associate.
Robyn completed her PhD in 2019 which examined ‘in the moment’ benefits of music-making for people living with dementia. After her PhD Robyn spent time as a research associate at the University of Manchester on the Neighbourhoods and Dementia study.
Dr Henry Mcpherson
Dr Henry McPherson is a Research Associate at Creative Manchester. He is an artist-researcher specialising in music and dance improvisation, transdisciplinarity in the performing arts, and how social politics influence the aesthetics of improvising communities. His academic work centres improvisation as applied for social and wellbeing goals, as well as ecological sound practices, and improvisation as a strategy for empowerment. He has an interest in issues of artistic practice and identity, particularly around LGTBQ(+) and disability visibility, agency, and advocacy. He came to the University of Manchester in summer 2023, having completed a practice-based PhD at the Centre for Research in New Music at the University of Huddersfield, in association with the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (hcmf//). Since 2020, he has been a visiting lecturer in free improvisation at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. Outside academia, he maintains an international portfolio as a composer and improviser.
Manchester Camerata and Music in Mind
Manchester Camerata?is a world-class chamber orchestra and registered charity based in The Monastery, Gorton, and has been playing in concert halls and venues both nationally and internationally for the last 50 years. Whether it’s providing vital music therapy for people living with dementia, training professional carers and running dementia Music Cafes as part of our Music in Mind programme, or empowering young people through creative music-making work in schools, bringing together communities through music is at the heart of what Manchester Camerata does.
Manchester Camerata is also now training community groups and professional carers to use music to help care for those with dementia via our new Music Champions ‘Caring through Music’ scheme, which has been developed thanks to a major government grant, UK Research and Innovation Designed for Ageing.?
Accessing the webinar
Please note this is an online event, it will be hosted via Zoom. The Zoom link to access the webinar will be shared with attendees closer to the event date.
This event is presented by Creative Manchester and The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health based at The University of Manchester.
