The Art Engager How can museums build meaningful social connection?
Apr 16, 2026
A lively roundup from a national convening on art and social connection. Highlights include community art practice, TimeSlips storytelling, and long-term theatre work in care homes. You’ll hear about programmes like mindfulness-and-art sessions, bereavement workshops, and simple poetry labs. The conversation also covers research, evaluation, and how museums can make their social impact visible.
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Imagination Over Memory For Dementia Engagement
- TimeSlips reframes engagement for people with dementia by replacing memory pressure with imaginative storytelling.
- Anne Basting's facilitation cycle is: ask open questions, improvise with yes-and, and offer proof of listening by echoing back.
Penelope Project Gave Residents Creative Agency
- The Penelope Project ran two years in a care home, making residents co-creators in a staged Odyssey production.
- Residents acted, wrote material and experienced meaningful agency, with one calling it 'the last important thing I'll do.'
Four Principles For Longterm Creative Work
- Build projects that demand collaboration, tolerate uncertainty, create ongoing entry points, and start from participant strengths.
- Anne Basting recommends multi-year horizons so 'yes-and' trust can develop over time.