The Centre for Ethics Newsletter Volume 85 - Term 2, 2017 ENCOMM Older people with interesting stories Agelink Theatre As participants in the Environment and The residents at Riversea certainly enjoy Agelink’s Managing Director is Jenny Davis Community (ENCOMM) program at Christ seeing the boys each week and the who founded the company in 1993. Church, our Year 10 boys are involved in a students gain much from their contact Agelink Theatre’s aims include affirming wide variety of service learning activity. with the older people, almost all of whom the value of seniors. This means Some assist with wetland restoration. have dementia. As Pele Reeve points out, acknowledging their wisdom, experience, Others help out at Food Rescue. As well, the conversations our students have body of knowledge and their contribution students visit several aged-care centres with these men and women allow the to society. Agelink also seeks to bring in the local area. One of the centres we boys to discover that the residents have together the various generations so that visit on Friday afternoons is Riversea in interesting backgrounds and experiences the stories of older men and women may Mosman Park. to share. Hearing their stories provides enrich the young. As a theatre company, an invaluable lesson, especially in the they produce main stage and touring Intergenerational activities light of the considerable stigma attached productions which inspire, entertain and These days, more and more organisations to dementia. It is too easy to discount inform. which provide support for dementia the possibility and importance of social patients, including those with adult day interaction for those who have this Elevating mood programs, have implemented formal condition. Another of their aims is to engage with intergenerational activities. The results communities through an imaginative have been very positive. The isolation of dementia process aimed at elevating mood, Many people with dementia face an combatting depression, passing on new Pele Reeve unnecessary isolation which leads to skills and increasing mental alertness. We have been delighted to work with Pele loneliness and boredom. A partnership They produce shows based on seniors’ Reeve, the Facility Manager at Riversea. between Bethanie, Curtin Care and memories which are retrieved in interviews Pele says that “Riversea has changed Agelink Theatre, has resulted in a creative and reminiscence workshops. These significantly over the last five years collaboration which provides a way of shows are filled with stories, music, to reflect the changing needs of our countering this through the use of theatre song and laughter; shows that travel into population. What was traditionally a low and music. A recent example combining the community and can be performed care hostel, is now a specialised high care these has been a public performance anywhere including libraries, schools, dementia specific facility. The expectation entitled Some Enchanted Evening. senior centres, even in the corner of a of the students who visit to spend time Residents from Riversea participated room. These performances are aimed at with our residents has changed. The alongside professional actors and mainstream audiences and they pay tribute students have risen to the challenge and musicians to produce a lively and very to the human spirit. represent CCGS in a way that should make enthusiastically received performance the School and their families very proud. which delighted those on stage as well as Reminiscence Box When they visit us, they have the privilege their families. In preparation of specialised interactive of spending time with our residents who and musical performances for audiences have lived rich and full lives and have Magic Moments with dementia, Agelink travel to much to share. We teach the students We are pleased that the next of these residential or day care facilities with their the value of engaging and connecting shows will be held in our School Chapel ‘Reminiscence Box’ so as to stimulate with people, regardless of their diagnosis, and that a number of Year 10 students memories and conversation. The box background or the reality in which they live will not only assist with the production contains nostalgic objects related to the in during any moment. This may be through but join in the performance alongside the five senses: fabrics such as fur, velvet conversations, shared experiences men and women they have come to know and kid leather; smells such as floor polish, such as music or looking at pictures, or at Riversea. The show will be called Magic 4711, perfume, rosemary and lavender. activities such as games and art.” Moments and once more, Agelink Theatre will be involved. This newsletter is produced by the Centre for Ethics at Christ Church Grammar School. It is a quarterly publication informing the community of forthcoming speakers and events. The Centre for Ethics Newsletter “When they visit us, they “Dementia care is a challenging have the privilege of concept as people often spending time with our have pre-conceived ideas residents who have lived rich about dementia and how and full lives and have much this restricts those with the to share.” condition from being part of amazing experiences.” Songs evoking memories Vice-Patron of the Midnite Youth Theatre Good news stories In creating the production Some enchanted Company and a friend and mentor to many The work of Jenny Davis and Agelink afternoon, Jenny Davis has performers who have participated in its productions Theatre is a good news story. Further working from skeleton scripts. Songs from over the years, including Tim Minchin who good news is that the percentage of older musicals are played and then sung. My Fair says that Miss Honey in Matilda is based US adults with dementia declined from Lady, The Sound of Music and Oklahoma on Jenny. There is a fabulous photograph 11.6 percent in 2000 to 8.8 percent in are favourites. Jenny then interviewed of Tim, his wife Sarah and his parents 2012. But for individuals and their families the performers, asking them to recall along with Jenny who was his guest at the dealing with it, Agelink provides the sort memories which arise from hearing and opening of the show on the West End. of response which reminds us that every singing these songs. At weekly rehearsals person counts. that lead up to the production, Jenny 2016 Juniper Champion for Seniors elicited past stories from most of the In November 2016, Jenny Davis was The next generation participants, incorporating them into the named as the ‘Juniper Champion for As Pele Reeves points out, “Dementia show and usually connecting the memories Seniors’ at the WA Seniors Awards. It was care is a challenging concept as people to the words of one of the songs. For a tribute to her years of service in seeking often have pre-conceived ideas about example, if there is a memory about rain, to improve the wellbeing of older people dementia and how this restricts those with the group might join in Singing in the Rain. throughout the community. In presenting the condition from being part of amazing There is a creative process that has its the award, Juniper Chief Executive Vaughan experiences. This simply isn’t true, and own energy. Harding noted that “Since 1993, Jenny through partnerships like ours with CCGS, has brought entertaining and emotionally we can educate the next generation, and Jenny Davis OAM moving works to the community and in hopefully inspire young people to want Jenny Davis OAM is a much loved and doing so has helped enrich the lives of all to make a difference in this critical field highly respected figure within the Perth involved.” He spoke of Jenny “brightening in the future. At the very least they will theatrical community. She writes and the lives of people across the State”. be knowledgeable and compassionate, directs many shows for Agelink. One and be able to relate to those with production, Here to Stay, was constructed WA Women’s Hall of Fame 2017 dementia, which is incredibly valuable in our out of interviews with senior migrants who It was hardly a surprise that on communities.” had lived in camps for displaced persons in International Women’s Day in March this Europe after World War II. Dear Heart was year Jenny was inducted into the WA written in 1995 for the 50th anniversary Women’s Hall of Fame. Jenny saw it as of the end of World War II. This was based an affirmation of the place of the arts in on her aunt’s letters to her P.O.W husband our society. She also noted that women and on interviews with survivors from face particular challenges entering Japanese prisoner of war camps. She was various artistic fields and then receiving commissioned in 1998 to write Dear Heart recognition. as a novel, published by Allen and Unwin. Year 10 classes Vice-Patron of Midnite Apart from holding this next production of In 2001, Jenny received a Centenary Medal Agelink Theatre in the chapel, we will have Frank Sheehan for services to West Australian theatre. Jenny Davis speaking to some of our Year School Chaplain Apart from writing plays, she both acts and 10 classes about the work of the company Director of the Centre for Ethics directs for the Perth Theatre Company and and the ways in which new patterns of Frank Sheehan relationship between different generations was for many years director of the West School Chaplain Australian Youth Theatre. For 10 years may be imagined, experienced and enjoyed Director of the Centre for Ethics Jenny was a writer for ABC Radio. She is a to the benefit of all. The Centre for Ethics Newsletter Facilitating Creative Spaces Zainab Syed Zainab Syed graduated from Brown University in May 2014 with a degree in Political Science.