Silva Lining’s Care Plan
Watch the trailer: Silva Lining’s Care Plan trailer
Our recent work includes a previously ACE-funded project: ‘Silva Lining’s Care Plan’; we held rehearsed script readings in Bristol and Nottingham; live cello, comedic and puppetry elements. “A wonderful and moving exploration of the complex relationship between carer and cared for. Both heart-rending and laugh-out-loud.” Alex Coulter, Director, Arts and Health South West.
Now even more highly topical, Silva Lining’s Care Plan’ is a high- quality play informed by the personal experience of carers of people with dementia that questions what it means to be human and to care.We have been working to convert this to become an episodic podcast play, with additional interview material, in order to find new ways to reach carers.
“Silva Lining’s Care Plan is a wonderful and moving exploration of the complex relationship between carer and cared for. Both heart-rending and laugh-out-loud, it takes you on a roller-coaster of an emotional journey through Silva Lining’s story, with many an amusing aside from her Brain.” Alex Coulter, Director,Arts & Health South West. Chair,Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance
“Professional carers are hidden from view, yet are at the heart of support to people with disabilities or disabling illness, particularly dementia, helping them to live at home as long as possible. This play portrays the complex relationship between a carer and a woman – a retired doctor – living with dementia. Mutual respect, misunderstandings, anger, beauty, frustration, jokes and, above all, love, drew me into this poignant play with beautiful acting and even a brain puppet.” Gene Feder, Professor of primary health care Centre for Academic Primary Care Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol
“Everyone involved as Commissioners of care services or as carers should immerse themselves in this play. You will forever see “Caring” in a new light. I was immediately captivated by the scene and the setting – familiar to me as a GP. Difficulty in gaining access to the patient’s house using door codes has been part of my lived experience for many years. The conversation between Silva Lining and her carer, the profound insights and astonishing puppetry engaged me throughout. ” Dr Malcolm Rigler FRSPH, Health Ambassador at: www.patients-association.com
Our play Silva Lining’s Care Plan was featured in Care and Cure magazine: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/…/wi…/tandem-arts-and-dementia
Was super to meet with Phillip Ball and have a thrilling conversation about neuroscience, mini brains and his upcoming book. Philip’s article about his work with Created Out of Mind spawned a whole character in our play Silva Lining’s Care Plan – and that is Brain. Hoping to continue conversations and also find out more about this fantastic recent Wellcome Trust project, as Silva develops into its next phase.
September 2018
Our tour to Nottingham was a big success, it went smoothly, with three performances, one at TANdem Conference and two at The Contemporary in central Nottingham. We had some great feedback, and lots of pointers of where to go next. We were also featured on Notts TV and BBC One – East Midlands Today news at 6.30/10.30pm and on iPlayer. Great to raise awareness about carers and dementia! Catch the cast of “Silva Lining’s care plan” written and directed by Elspeth Penny, with Angie Belcher Pameli Benham Sarah Moody and Isobel Ripley alongside Prof.Justine Schneider as they shed light on #dementiacare research:
Early reviews – summer 2018
We were really pleased with our performance in July 2018 at Puppet Place, Silva Lining’s Care Plan 5th July 2018, lots of great reactions. It reinforced my belief that the most important issue and theme of our time is what it is to care. “If we are not to turn into robots, if we are to retain our humanness, then we urgently need to understand what makes us human. We KNOW that caring is powerful, precisely BECAUSE care gets marginalized, silenced, bullied off the agenda. But carers are the silent majority. That’s why this play is vital.” Dr Ingrid Wassenaar.
Feedback:
“This play must be watched/shared with carers old and new and care agencies. Good to see a positive care/relationship and the importance of getting it right. Very powerful. I was completely engaged for the whole piece”
“Moving, amusing”
“I thought the play was excellent, I enjoyed every minute, ‘felt the emotion’.
‘We are taken on a very rich journey’.
‘Changed stereotypes’
‘Respect for what the old person carries within’
‘Loved that you weren’t sure of who is looking after who’
‘Enjoyed the quirkiness, fantasy element, music and effects’
‘A highlight was the mix of real and miraculous, people and puppet, symbols, sounds and songs
‘High class script and acting’
‘A tour de force’
‘Playful, challenging, stirring, surreal, magical, funny!’
‘Engaging, informative, humorous, worrying, thought-provoking.’
