The National Institute for Creative Ageing is a new initiative designed to support artists and develop access to the arts for older people and particularly people with dementia. 

Latest event

Arts & Dementia Showcase & Interactive Workshop , Liverpool – 1 November
The National Institute for Creative Ageing is presenting a day-long introduction to the role the creative arts can play in improving quality of life for people living with dementia.

The day will be an introduction to learning about the dramatic impact the arts can have on people living with dementia, through a series of workshops introduced by creative arts practitioners.

For more information about the event and booking see flyer below.

Background
Over the past year, the Government has initiated a programme of sweeping changes that will require a seismic shift in the way that the public sector operates.

Outsourcing of service provision from health and social care through a new system of open tenders for both private and public organisations will transform the way in which services will be delivered.

In the field of dementia, underpinned by the National Dementia Strategy, services are being encouraged to focus on their development in the community and thereby reduce the over-reliance on an exclusively medical model of provision. This will happen through the reconfiguration of existing acute services, the establishment of GP commissioning structures, personalised health budgets and other new initiatives.

Accompanying these changes is a major reduction in statutory funding for arts and voluntary sector service provision organisations. Organisations are under pressure to change their structures and adopt new ways of operating so that they can effectively compete within the new emerging market. To successfully manage this change, arts organisations and voluntary sector service providers will have to move away from grant-based operational models to revenue generating operational models of service provision.

The National Institute for Creative Ageing (NICA) will provide expert support in managing this transformation successfully. Our aim is to enable member organisations to re-configure their service provision and to develop sustainable operational models so that they can participate in a wider health economy of provision for people living with dementia.

Our aim is to support, empower and develop artists and to demystify the jargon of the health sector, and build on the excellent work that takes place in care homes and communities every day.

NICA will offer artists:
Artist to artist connections
Guidance – NICA will offer a range of resources for artists – online and by phone if appropriate including guidance on funding, templates for contracts etc
Showcase – NICA will offer a range of services to showcase the work of artists online and via events, signposting their activity and creating a “shop window” for potential employers
Education and development – for artists new to the field and refreshers and skills sharing for those looking to broaden their skill set.

Each individual type of service has been summarised in a statement below. 

Contact NICA on nica@lahf.org.uk