Children today are, more than ever before, likely to interact with family and community members living with dementia. These interactions will increase as the population ages. It is said that 75% of people with dementia and their carers report experiencing stigma and social isolation. One way to address this problem is through education of the next generation. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, most children would like to help someone with dementia and are keen to know more about the condition.
Project DARE
Project DARE (Dementia knowledge, Art, Research and Education) proposes to address this problem by adapting an existing educational program to a younger audience. It uses art as a medium by which the children can express their knowledge of dementia. This allows younger children to express visually concepts that they may not have the vocabulary to convey verbally.
The aim of this original project was to pilot and evaluate the impact of a short education intervention on the conceptual understanding of dementia by primary school aged children from 8‐11 years. Analysis of the progressive artwork showed how their understanding of dementia changes once they have participated in the educational intervention.
Media
- Project Dare exhibition at The Gallery at Big Fat Smile, Illawarra Mercury, 21 September 2017
- Project DARE aids children's understanding of Dementia, Brunel University London, 12 January 2018
Read more about the exhibition
The exhibition
- Dr Pippa Burns is an early career researcher with an interest in the communication of health information and dementia (SMAH)
- Associate Professor Michelle Eady teaches Professional Studies in the School of Education and an associate fellow of the Early Start Research Institute (ASSH)
- Dr Jess Baker is a Lecturer at the Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit at the University of New South Wales. Jess also leads the Kids4Dementia project
- Jennine Primmer was the Chief Creative Officer at Artspace, Big Fat Smile
- Carinya Barkley is a teacher at Coledale Public School
- Dr Penny Harris is the Contemporary Arts Discipline Leader within the School of the Arts, English and Media (ASSH)
- Professor Victoria Traynor is a highly experienced aged‐care researcher whose work has influenced the delivery of aged and dementia care services
