Creativity And Community Change

At Dry Water Arts, creativity is a catalyst for community change. Based in Amble, we bring people together through imaginative, inclusive and regenerative approaches that centre lived experience and open up space for honest conversation about the issues that matter most. Our work is collaborative and community-led, rooted in strong local relationships and shaped through listening, co-creation and trust. By keeping our approach intentionally small and deeply engaged, we create the conditions for meaningful participation, stronger connections and lasting, community-driven change.

““When I’m here I don’t have dementia, I’m free””

At Dry Water we run a series of flagship dementia positive programmes. They put people living with dementia, their carers and families at the heart of every activity. They are dynamic and joyous programmes developed via direct consultation with the people who live with dementia.

Our collective aim is to change the story and negative stereotypes often associated with dementia and to show what is possible in the here and now.

Sing As You Are

A monthly singing together session

MONDAYS 1.30pm to 3.30pm (see dates below)

Everyone is welcome to this FREE singing for fun session. The focus is on singing together for pleasure and along the way you may find that your breathing is improved as well as your chuckle muscles! Singing is an accessible and effective gateway to feeling good. No rehearsals or performances just a chance to sing together. Sessions led by Singer songwriter Steve Jinski

This is an open to all integrated dementia friendly session and includes refreshments.

A warm welcome in a warm and friendly environment awaits you .

HOW TO BOOK
The programme is FREE and OPEN to anyone but places are limited so please can you book online HERE

Carers and Darers

Can we change the care crisis together?

Can we make a responsive model with people who know at the heart of it ?

What would work and who is best placed to tell it how it is ?

In order to change we need to make a start

A monthly session for carers where you can share your most pressing needs, be supported in finding solutions, lobby for change, experience some self care techniques and talk openly about your needs.

At Dry Water we work hard to support carers in finding ways to speak their truth to power. We are particularly interested in making social care more responsive, compassionate and relevant.

The sessions will be held during the weekend - we are finalising the dates, please ring for the latest details

Past Programmes and Projects

Kin Club - A Weekly Community Arts & Wellbeing Session

MONDAYS 1.30pm to 3.30pm

We are coming towards the end of our year long Kin programme. The Kin Club will continue to offer the things you told us mattered during the last year, the things which made you feel better, less lonely and more connected. Kin Club will offer a wide range of social and creative activities as well as mindfulness and relaxation techniques and of course refreshments.

HOW TO BOOK
The programme is open to anyone but please do ring us or email us so we can make sure the programme is suitable for you.

COST £5

Tell It How It Is

£0.00

7 June 2024 - 18 June 2024

Opening Event : Friday 7th June 6pm- 7.30pm

Tell It How It is - An exhibition that pays homage to the lived experience of carers in the UK

This exhibition aims to capture your attention by utilising the well known form of positive affirmation signs that have become so much part of mainstream culture. Things like Love Life Laughter or Living my best life.

We asked carers to subvert this aspirational lifestyle form to inform people of what life is really like if you are a carer.

Successive governments have promised and then failed to address the crisis in care. Everyone knows the system is broken and scarily anyone of us and yes that includes you could become a carer.

It involves giving up freedoms you took for granted and more often than not huge amounts of stress emotionally and financially

Art is not just about painting and beauty, at its best art can inform educate and motivate us into action

We urge you to come to the “ Tell it as it is “ exhibition and to see and feel what it is like to be a carer

During Careres week the Dry Water team are offering FREE workshops for registered carers - check out the pop up event page for information.

Carers Triage - A Monthly Session For Carers

A monthly session for carers where you can share your most pressing needs, be supported in finding solutions, lobby for change, experience some self care techniques and talk openly about your needs.

At Dry Water we work hard to support carers in finding ways to speak their truth to power. We are particularly interested in making social care more responsive, compassionate and relevant.

The sessions will be held during the weekend - we are finalising the dates, please ring for the latest details.

Going Good Programme

Post pandemic our Going Good programme developed responding to the requests of both carers and those being cared for to enable them to both to have time to do things separately and for those who are cared for to programme their own activities based on their interests of the group.

The programme combined important and well researched activities that supported the well being and personhood of the person living with dementia. Participants were engaged in a wide range of activities which included; walking, cooking, visits, planning and landscaping the Dry Water garden, movement based sessions, creative arts sessions, assessing venues for their accessibility for those living with dementia, raising awareness within the wider community about dementia and initiating conversations with other groups about dementia and memory.

As part of the programme we piloted integrated sessions with volunteer support which has led to the development ot our new programme Kin Club where; in addition to those living with dementia and their carers, those who are lonely or isolated within the community can come together and engage in feel good activities each week.

Curiosity Cafe

Curiosity Cafe was our flagship programme which provided support for those living with dementia and their carers from diagnosis through their journey to end stage dementia. The programme paved the way for our new programme above and fed into research programmes, influenced change at strategic level in NHS and Adult Social Care.