Bring me Laughter - Online Festival
Dates: 22 Feb 2021 - 26 Feb 2021
Location: Online
Barbara Windsor was a notable actress of stage and screen. She made her most famous roles in the ‘Carry On’ films which were full of comic innuendoes. In later years she was the fierce landlady of The Queen Vic in Eastenders.
Sadly, however she began a gradual decline from the spotlight after her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in April 2014. Barbara endured a six year battle with the illness until her death last December 2020 at the age of 83.
Alzeheimer’s is a form of dementia. It describes groups of symptoms that cause the gradual decline of your brain. It happens when different diseases affect the brain.
The late Barbara Windsor brought a lot fun and mischief to her most iconic roles. It seems apt then that The Dukes are staging a virtual programme entitled ‘Bring me Laughter Online Festival’, as part of the dementia arts project.
Scheduled to run from February 22nd- 26th 2021 this exciting online event is a chance for us to celebrate, share and explore the importance of the arts for people living with dementia alongside practitioners, professionals and participants.
Bring Me Laughter is created through laughter and playfulness which then helps to develop stronger social connections and enable better communication with people living with dementia and their caregivers. Since January 2019, this has been rooted in participation groups across Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth.
Guests from across the UK who specialise in the arts and dementia will be sharing their experiences of working in care homes, leading workshops and creating wonderful pieces of art.
The festival will have a mix of pre-recorded and live content throughout. Please note - the sessions are free to attend but you will need to book your place. You can book a session by clicking on the following link:-
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-dukes-bring-me-laughter-festival-32221886307. You will receive an email conformation including further instructions on how to participate.
This link will also provide for you a full list of the sessions you can attend. These include:-
- Workshops
- Talks
- Live discussions
- Virtual exhibitions
- Films
- Sing-a-longs
To show your support, donations to the Alzheimer’s Society are always welcome. Click on this link to donate:-https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/make-donation
One of the ‘Bring me Laugher’ participants from a 2020 session expressed the growing need for humour in the current climate,
“More than ever, I think we all need laugher in our lives!”
^Alex Ashworth CCG Art Blogger