Talking Lines creative research update
Over the past 4 years, an interdisciplinary team of artists, social scientists, neuropsychologists, and people living with or affected by rare dementias have been working together to develop a line-drawing methodology to better understand experiences of rare dementia diagnosis and support. Talking Lines is a research project which combines both visual and verbal modes of communication, taking the concept of the drawn line as a starting point to promote communication and narrative construction.
Building on pilot research which has explored line making in relation to accessibility, visual perception and the body (Single Yellow Lines, 2017 – present), Talking Lines invited 27 people living with or caring for someone with a rare dementia to draw and talk about their experiences; reflecting on deeply challenging situations such as maintaining identity in the face of a diagnosis, the realities of care, and wider social and cultural narratives about dementia.
Exhibition at Drawing Room Library in London (UK)
There will be a presentation of this research at the Drawing Room Library, London (UK), which will focus on the drawings and words of 4 participants who took part in the research, including Canadian participation. In this exhibition original Talking Lines will be displayed alongside a film produced by Rare Dementia Support in the UK. For those in London (UK) there will be opportunities to see the drawings, hear words from the participants and take part in a workshop and panel discussion about the research. Exhibition dates are September 22nd, 2023 – December 10th, 2023. We congratulate the team and thank all participants for the immense contributions to make this research and exhibition happen.