'Well I'm still the Diva!' Enabling people with dementia to express their identity through graffiti arts: Innovative practice. (February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hicks, Ben; Carroll, Denise; Shanker, Shanti; El-Zeind, Angela
• Is Part Of: Dementia. Volume 18:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 814
• Page End: 820
• Publication Date: 2019-02
• Subjects: dementia -- identity -- self -- graffiti art; Psychiatric social work -- Periodicals; Social work with older people -- Periodicals; Dementia -- Periodicals; 362.19683005
• DOI: 10.1177/1471301217722421
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-3012

Abstract

This article reports on a pilot study that investigated the use of graffiti arts as a medium for promoting self-expression in people with dementia. Two people with dementia attended a series of workshops with a graffiti artist where they explored their feelings of changing identity following their dementia diagnoses. As part of the workshops, they were encouraged to develop a personal 'tag' or signature to portray their sense of identity and a piece of street art to express 'their message'. These completed artworks were displayed in a public space in Bournemouth, UK.