Press Release...

To all my colleagues and new friends in Canada here is the 250 word press release I was telling you about...please comment on how my work may have touched you...or not of course!!

Dancing Doctor Returns from British Columbia!

An exceptionally rewarding Churchill Fellowship 2010 awarded to Dr Richard Coaten of the South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust, has ended. Having spent a month in Toronto and Vancouver, including attendance at a major international conference on arts and dementia; where he gave a very popular presentation, Richard has returned much inspired. His Fellowship involved studying the use of movement, dance and other ‘embodied’ practices for people with dementia and their care-giver’s. He visited world-leading experts and learnt first-hand about their pioneering efforts researching the importance of ‘going by way of the body in dementia care’. Essentially this seeks to improve quality of life, by better understanding how and why the creative and performing arts give hope and opportunity to all those with a dementing condition.  He visited brain research laboratories meeting leading neuroscientists: worked closely with a specialist care facility providing vital care-giver support: visited a specialist day-centre in Toronto and gave numerous talks and experientially based workshops about his doctoral researches.  He was part of a ‘Round-Table’ discussion in Vancouver seeking to develop dance and health activities throughout British Columbia, bringing together cultural planners, dancers and others including a representative from the British Columbia Arts Council. It was a great success and more are planned. Overall, he learnt much of relevance to the Dance Movement Psychotherapy Service he runs in Calderdale, and would like to take this opportunity to thank both the Churchill Memorial Trust in London and his own employer for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

BUILDING UP STEAM - A NEW 'BLOGGINNING' - PLEASE HELP!

At home in blogosphere

Dear Bloggers,

A personal letter of thanks to you all in the old fashioned way for joining me in the new fashioned way in the blogosphere. I am writing to you, dearly beloved and dedicated bloggers, who appear in the main 'blog-view' page and who no doubt are responsible for increasing my blogger 'hit-rate'scores to a value, greater than, or equal to 1, on several past occasions. Who knows what interests you specifically, or why you are motivated to take a look at mine when no doubt the total 'blogosphere' to which you are also invited is a universe of unsurpassed wealth and much more thrilling stuff. HOWEVER, not to exclude everyone else who may blog in future, the news is as follows.....'when Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane!':

'It's 4 in the morning' as Leonard Cohen once sang so memorably; I cannot sleep anymore: the clock is actually saying it's 01.26 but I don't believe it!; it's 8pm Vancouver where a part of me still resides; I'm loving being at home in my own bed after a month of hotel beds. I'm also loving a mixture of 'Early Grey'!! (what pun for this time of the morning) and real-tea served from a real tea-pot with accompanying toast and real home-made marmalade, (sadly on this occasion not made by me). I/we are back home after nearly 9 hours in the air, coupled with an 8 hour time-difference...not a pleasant combination. If anyone has any suggestions for making this transition space more pleasant please let me know! I have opened a letter from the Director General of the WCMT asking me for a 'short and punchy draft press release, summarising the purpose, salient points and achievements of my Fellowship'. Feet have not yet properly landed and already I have woken up at this wonderfully creative and also quiet time, to forge a new relationship with you all -

HERE FORTHWITH A CHALLENGE TO THE BLOGOSPHERE

NO, THIS IS NOT THE END, THIS IS MERELY A NEW BLOGGINING! (- YO!)

I INVITE YOU ALL, WHO I'VE MET AND WORKED WITH IN THAT STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL CANADA TO START LETTING ME AND OTHERS KNOW THROUGH THIS BLOG, THE IMPACT OF MY TRIP ON YOU AND ON YOUR WORK.


So, my press release when done will also be 'blog-released' here in the 'blogosphere' and not solely in a regional and UK based newspaper or journal, (which no-one in Canada may probably read anyway!)  - how about that for a 4am idea?? I am buzzing with it and shall email you all into it as well, so no escaping the reach of this new 'Bloggining' seeking maximum bloggage and 'dia-bloggage' (not dia-blabbable!)  in the blogosphere.


Seriously though, this trip of a lifetime gifted me by the Churchill Memorial Trust in London has been so special that I must take this opportunity to thank Julia, Jamie and all the others involved in granting me this opportunity. I know they would want me to say it is open to all UK citizens and to tell you about it, which a long report and short press release from me will seek to achieve; however, I also know that my work does not stop now that the trip is over. There is much work to be done in improving the lives of all those with a dementing condition, and all those touched directly and indirectly by it, here and in Canada. I have learnt so so much from being with you all;  interested, interesting, committed, skilled and special people in Toronto, Vancouver, Penticton and Kamloops, including First Nation Peoples.

I sincerely trust that I can do you all justice for what you have gifted both me and my family, in getting across the message (through the creative and performing arts) that it will always be a myth that people with dementia can no longer communicate; that there is no hope; that they are no longer worth bothering about, or listening to, or learning from. As 'Bear' (Gerald) from Kamloops said, having drummed and sang us ( as a family) onto their territory in Kamloops in the traditional way (an experience I shall never forget), 'if the person has lost their spirit, then through ceremony and the help of our ancestors we will help them recover it'. There is no helplessness, or hopelessness here; instead a firm belief in (and experience of) the power of rhythm, song, music, dance and ceremony (within tradition) to connect with that which gives life, affirms spirit and recovers 'Personhood' in spite of manifold loss.

There is much work to be done, please help me know and share your Canadian stories and experiences of my work with you, and how it relates with and connects to your own; so that we can better understand and grow this work and approach for the betterment of all with the condition.

Yours in profound gratitude,
Richard
Churchill Fellow 2010

Running out of steam...

It's Friday, we leave for UK tomorrow and here's the news from Kamloops where we were on Monday night last. Tuesday early we got back in the hire car and drove for 5 hours back to Vancouver via the Coquihalla Highway I think it's called. A stunningly beautiful drive up high mountain passes, where you go on climbing and climbing. I did pick up rather a lot of speed (on the way down) and it was Amy who spotted the Police Helicopter hovering over the road when I was touching 125 kph instead of the regulation 100kph. Luckily, I put the anchors on and we were not chased by the 'blue light' brigade...thanks to Amy for that. Having got back to Vancouver in time for the car hire deadline we cheked into the Holiday Inn ( and yes another pool!) and more swimming. We have all being doing a lot of that recently, which has been great for keeping fit and keeping A happy. The rest of tuesday was a rest time and wednesday we headed off to Granville Island in the morning which is a cross between Covent Garden outdoor performance space, indoor and outdoor markets abd little ferries that take you across from downtown. It is the no1 tourist attraction in Canada with Niagara No2 and we have done them both.

Wednesday pm and we headed off to University of British Columbia with 55,000 students where we all met Alison, played 'Old Maid' in a cafe with Alison and then she and I went off to talk about her researches in the creative arts with people with dementia. We met again today Friday (this) morning to continue that process viewing more film clips of older people taking part in creative activities from music to painting and reflecting on how beneficial it was for them. Her work is definitely leading edge stuff and I'm looking forward to collaborating with her more on this. Wednesday night and Alison invited us out for a "Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner'....the first time we have been invited out the whole trip. It meant a lot to us, and it was a lovely time with her and family.

So, after the talk this am, it was off to the Dance Centre for our workshop. About 12 people came, which was an excellent turn-out, considering it was thanksgiving weekend, when most folk leave town for the provinces and many more turkey dinners...anyway..never quite found out the significance of this event in the Canadian calendar. The workshop went really well and this time it was almost all experiential with a bit of talking. It was really appreciated come the end of the three hours and the centre director gave us a bottle of wine which was very kind..

Had some cheap Greek food tonight (inc.Baklava for me) as budget almost exhausted...looking forward to meeting one of Mary's relatives tomorrow who is picking us up tomorrow am taking us to her house and then off to the airport.....to catch the plane. This may be my last blog till we're home. Has been really frustarting not being able to download new pics on a regular basis as it takes too long when not easily able to reduce the pixel size so the blog can recognise it or not take ages to download.

Bye for now...and thanks for tuning in to all this...

Catching-up....phew!!

So much going on...have a need to put new pics on here...have found a great pc in the lobby of the students residence at Thompson Rivers University here in Kamloops which in 'K'wemleps' means meeting of the rivers and the rivers (Thompson & North Thompson) are pretty big. Have met Wendy Hulko today from here who is doing dementia focused work with First Nation Elders. My workshop today had five people from different peoples + 9 others; it was very special as Mary, Amy and I were welcomed onto the territory in a traditional way with a song going back generations and drumming to accompany the song. Gerald (Bear) welcomed us and later he spoke movingly about bringing ( through cermenony) back the spirit of several elders who had (according to him) lost theirs through the condition. It was a moving afternoon especially when I asked him if he and his brothers and sisters would drum and sing, while I led participants in a dance to ground the talk in the experiential.

Apologies to those who wanted to hear how the conference went in Penticton and before that my meeting with Claudia the 'Music & the Brain' researcher at UBC in Vancouver. I am full to bursting with everything gouing on here and I am pleased to say that Amy played a full and active part in the workshop today.

We depart early am for a 4 hour return drive to Vancouver, where we must deposit the car we've had these past several days. We are staying at the Holiday Inn on Howe Street, Downtown and Mary and I are jointly leading the workshop we are giving at the Scotiabank Dance Centre on Davie Street. Do come if you are reading this from BC! It is is 677, Davie Street from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on October 8th. Bring loose comfortable clothes and we will be dancing....that's it fornow. The conference in Penticton was well worth attending and more of that when next I get access to a machine like this... Byeee.......................

Catching-up...

So much going on now....difficult gaining internet access to report about it and therefore doing this quick in a cafe where Amy is quietly tying my shoelaces together under the table. 23 degrees here in Penticton in the Canadian Rockies, the conference going very well. The hotel has a pool so swimming every morning early before the conference starts at 08.30hrs sharp. Lots of really interesting arts/health work going on in the west here, with folk from the Northern Territories, Alberta, BC and New York. It's good to see Bernie Warren again from Windsor Ontario who is doing clown based work and research with folk with memory problems. The meeting in Vancouver the day we left for here was also really brilliant. Met a neuroscientist at the University of BC Brain Research Lab and we talked at length about her pioneering research on music therapy and the brain....more news soon whenever I can get access to a machine.

Amy says; "I'm having great time in Canada. It's just been my birthday on the 24th September and I got lots and lots of presents, then we went to Niagara Falls. I hated getting wet because we went in the Maid of the Mist, but I still loved it; and after, my dad bought me an absolutely delicious CHOCOLATE ice-cream. On that day I went to this waffle place, and we told them it was my birthday, so I had 2 waffles which had those sparkly candles on...and after we went on our plane and when we landed we went to our new hotel and after dinner I had a cake which was just the size for all of us - it was lovely, but I didn't have most of it!!."