Leeds City Museum launches creative campaigns to raise awareness of dementia

Leeds City Museum is asking the public to get creative as part of two new campaigns being launched on May 16 to mark Dementia Awareness Week (May 14-21).

The first campaign invites crafty individuals, groups, and schools across Leeds to make forget-me-not flowers­ and have them displayed in Leeds City Museum.

Adopted as a symbol by the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Alliance, the forget-me-not symbolises faithful love and memory.

The forget-me-nots will be used to cover the Brodrick Hall at Leeds City Museum to celebrate International Day of Older People on October 1.

The museum will also be launching their first ever poetry competition, around the theme of ‘Growing Older’.

Poets of all ages are encouraged to enter and any style is welcome. The lucky winners will have an exciting opportunity to give a reading of their poem at a celebratory event on Sunday, October 1 2017.

The winning entries will be chosen by published poets, Dr Lucy Burnett and Dr Nasser Hussein.

Dr Nasser Hussain, who will be judging the poetry competition, said: “As I get older, it is becoming clear to me that some of the most important things I've learned were also among the earliest. I'm honored to be judging the work of young writers from Leeds (and beyond!) However old I grow, it's never too late to learn something new, and that's what I hope to find in your poems.”

Dementia currently affects over 850, 000 people across the UK as well as their families, carers, and friends. Leeds is currently working towards becoming a recognised ‘Dementia Friendly Community’.

Sarah Goodyear, from Dementia Friendly Leeds, said: “Dementia Friendly Leeds are thrilled to support the Forget Me Not project and poetry competition. Dementia is very prevalent in Leeds and there is still lack of understanding and stigma around the condition. The Forget-Me-Not project is a great way to raise awareness and show solidarity for your local community members who are living with dementia. Poetry and crafts are also fantastic tools to demonstrate that living with dementia doesn't mean you can't be creative and share your talents and skills with others.”

Councillor Brian Selby, Leeds City Council’s lead member for museums and galleries, said:

“It’s great that Leeds City Museum will be raising awareness of Dementia, which affects hundreds of thousands of people across the UK including many in our own communities.

“I am excited to see Brodrick Hall filled with many forget-me-nots creatively crafted by the people of Leeds, as well as hearing the two winning poems this October.“I hope these campaigns highlight our aspiration to make Leeds a Dementia Friendly Community and encourage more people to find out about the condition.

Free forget me not crafting packs and materials will be available for groups. Please contact Projects Curator Lucy Moore for more information (lucy.moore@leeds.gov.uk).

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Chad Newton

Communications Team

email: chad.newton@leeds.gov.uk

Tel: 0113 37 89849

Notes to editors:

Growing Older Poetry Competition info:

Categories: Adult Poetry — ages 18 and over; Children and Young People’s category up to 17 years.

Deadline: The competition opens on the May 16^th 2017 and closes at noon on August 1^st 2017.

Winners will have an exciting opportunity to give a reading of their poem at a celebratory event on Sunday October 1 2017.

Growing Older Poetry Competition Terms and conditions

Entries must be your own work and only one per person will be accepted. Your poem should be no longer than 40 lines.

Entries marked Growing Older Poetry Competition must be submitted by email to: city.museum@leeds.gov.uk

Or by post to Leeds City Museum, Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 8BH

Please include: The name of your poem, name, address and postcode, email address, phone number, and age category.