Dementia-friendly film screenings 'help people reminisce'

Accompanied by the soundtrack to the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street, George Cromack stands side of stage and adjusts his Santa hat and white beard.

The auditorium at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough slowly fills with people - mainly pensioners and older - who have turned out on a Friday to catch a Christmas film.

However, there are some subtle but noticeable differences that mark this as a special kind of screening; slightly brighter lights, and a more subdued volume.

Less subtle perhaps is George in full festive regalia.

Striding out in front of the screen, he tells the room we are about to revisit the "often cast aside" redo of the original 1947 film, encouraging the audience to boo and cheer as he talks through a synopsis of the plot.

Once a month, the Stephen Joseph Theatre hosts dementia-friendly screenings to allow people with the condition to unlock memories through music and movies.

Rob Salmon, head of creative engagement at the theatre, says the screenings are a way to make "a bigger difference" in the community, particularly for Scarborough's large demographic of older people.

"Our audience is significantly populated with people who are in later life, and part of that audience are people experiencing later life conditions," he explains.

"These screenings are a really lovely way of bringing people into a space where ordinarily they might feel there are some challenges about their participation."

The featured films are often classics or musicals, like The Sound of Music and Calamity Jane, and are hosted events, with a comfort break intermission.

They are introduced by team members, who provide film facts for context, or even lead the audience in a piano-accompanied sing-a-longs.

Retired arts manager Tim Tubbs has been involved with the screenings since 2022, and estimates he and friend Bill Scott have hosted about 33 films.

"People in England, we're always a bit embarrassed about audience participation and joining in," he says with a chuckle.

"So sometimes we take a little while to get warmed up, but people do sing along."

As a former carer for his mother who had dementia, he says he saw how "isolating" the condition could be - but how music helped her engage with old memories.

"The ability to enjoy music, I found, was the very last thing my mother lost. That stayed with her almost to the end," Tim says.

According to the charity Dementia UK, research shows that listening to music can help memory recall, and encourage greater stimulation and engagement.

Tickets are offered at a reduced rate, with carers attending free of charge, which often leads to an "integrated audience", according to Tim.

"Sometimes we'll get three generations of the same family bringing grandma who is dementia-affected, and that's great.

"It's combating isolation big-time, I would say."

The initiative is funded in part by North Yorkshire councillor Rich Maw's locality budget allocation, and donations from local resident Sue Standard-Sheader.

Mike Padgham, executive chair of Saint Cecilia Care Group, regularly brings care home residents to the screenings.

He says that the films can offer benefits to individuals; helping them to "reminisce", as well as accessing the community.

"People that have seen films from yester-year, it brings back lots of hopefully happy memories," he explains.

"Because they're interactive and some of them have singing; singing is a great therapy in itself."

He adds that there was also an understanding among other customers and staff that individuals with dementia might behave differently from a typical audience.

"Here, if people do shout out or they decide they don't want to sit for the whole performance or are a bit fidgety, people are happy to accommodate that."

Back on stage, George is wrapping up his festive introduction, rousing the audience into a cheer and round of applause as the lights dim, and the opening credits roll.

Tim says: "People who have withdrawn into dementia, who knows which film will bring back memories?

"It stirs something, the music, the pictures - the mind still connects to that, and it brings a smile."

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