A NEW dementia awareness project – Suitcase Stories – is coming to Malvern Cube next year after Arts Uplift was awarded funding from Arts Council England and The Elmley Foundation.
Cash was also collected through a crowdfunding campaign to produce a BSL signed play to get the message across.
The Suitcase Stories play is based on real-life stories gathered from the successful project held in partnership with Museums Worcestershire.
The exciting theatre production will take viewers on a Worcestershire woman’s journey through the diagnosis of dementia.
The script was developed as a research and development piece through the first lockdown with funding from Arts Council England and now it is being turned into a full-scale production.
Written and directed by international director Helen Tennison, the text and movement based show will beautifully bring to the stage the rich stories collected from Worcestershire residents living with dementia.
The play will be a mix of professional and a community cast from the county.
Auditions for parts for both professional and community roles, for children and young people, will be coming up in January.
Arts Uplift director Jenny Davis said: “This play has been in the planning stages for two years so we are very excited to finally be able to start work on it.
“Dementia affects one in every 14 people over the age of 65 years so it’s an important subject to talk about.
“Age UK Hereford and Worcestershire will be doing some question and answer sessions after each show to signpost people to information.
“The creative team we have on board is phenomenal so we hope to bring some theatrical magic to Malvern very soon.”
Visit artsuplift.co.uk/suitcase-stories-the-play-malvern for more information and follow the project on Twitter and Facebook.
Alternatively, call Jenny on 07946 585978 or email her at [email protected] for more.
