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The Memory Cafe Project will place Poets-in-Residence in Alzheimer’s Society’s Memory Cafés throughout the UK. Memory Café’s provide safe and supportive environments where people affected by memory loss can socialise and meet with one another and receive information and advice.
Throughout the year the Memory Cafe project will support Poets-in-Residence to provide workshops which use the recital and remembering of poetry to trigger memories and life stories which can sometimes be hidden. Professional poets and writers will attend memory cafés and work closely with attendees to explore how the recital and discussions about poetry can help unlock memories. The new conversations we have in Memory Cafes can encourage new ways for families to communicate and we will explore how the effects of poetry can support people living with memory loss in positive ways.
To support activities in Memory Cafes the Poetry Archive has created a special collection of poetry recordings which is available to download so that everyone can continue to listen to poetry recordings outside the sessions.
The Memory Cafe Project project will support those affected by memory loss to engage creatively with family and friends. It is also an important opportunity for the writers and poets involved by providing training and development for more professionals to work directly with people how can benefit so much. The project will enable professional writers and poets to work closely with people living in their communities and to develop new and creative writing projects.