Spring 2024 saw the start of the Ripple Effect project, which was conceived and directed by Drawing Voices working with lead artist Alice Blackstock and Hertfordshire-based dementia service, Hertswise.
This project delivered sessions in Spring 2024 across three Hertfordshire communities and included people experiencing dementia, their carers and support staff. Inspired by the theme of ‘water’, Alice Blackstock led participants through a series of targeted creative activities designed to encourage interaction, self-expression and community-building, culminating in the creation of Can You Draw a River?
The ripple effect of the project is now spreading outwards. Since the sessions, a poetic soundscape has been created by the artist to complement the piece, and the work will be exhibited in October 2024 at the Drawing Rooms, Bermondsey. Through this exhibition, as well as via a high-quality digital version of the artwork, a documentary and a riverside trail, members of the public will be encouraged to reflect and gain a fresh perspective on this vulnerable group within their own communities.
“Thank you for the hard work of all the facilitators, their care, preparation of activities and attention in creating the sessions for us. Their natural interpersonal skills in helping clients and carers feel relaxed throughout. Their friendliness and approachability was appreciated by all, thank you”
More about Can You Draw a River?
This large textile artwork at 4x2.5m was woven on a transportable, folding loom to allow participants across three Hertfordshire communities to work collaboratively on one piece. It takes its shape from a sketched response that Alice’s father made during a drawn conversation in the later stages of dementia when he had become non-verbal. The warp and weft of the weave are made from his shirts, which were cut and sewn into 600m of fabric for the project.
Participants worked in a fluid way, choosing which areas to work on, picking colours and bringing their own creative style to the work. You’ll notice that some sections are very neat, while others are more meandering, imprecise and tactile – reflecting the ever-changing nature of rivers in the natural world.
Through collective participation and individual expression, this piece transforms the experience of a single individual into a celebration and a shared voice for people affected by dementia.