Artist in Residence: Dementia & Older People

Creative Support is a high quality provider of person centred social care services for people with learning disabilities, mental health and other needs.

We work with people who have a wide spectrum of needs, ranging from those who require short term support to regain their independence to people with complex needs who require intensive support to enjoy a good quality of life.

As a not for profit agency we are committed to using our assets and resources to create opportunities for the people we support.

What we're looking for:

Artists with specialist experience in participatory and applied arts are invited to submit proposals for a residency, engaging with up to 20 residents between the ages of 70 and 100 within one of our care homes in Carlisle.

Ideal candidates should demonstrate an understanding of the needs of people experiencing dementias and should have experience designing bespoke, community based workshops and residencies with and for older people, with a person-centred approach. Proposals should have 'participation' at their heart, with a strong focus on quality of experience and co-production. Process is as, if not more, important than product, though the residency will be artist-lead. You will work closely with our Applied Arts Development Practitioner, but the focus of the residency will be based on your own discipline and artistic responses to engaging with participants, as well as participant's responses to engaging with you.

We're open to considering applications from artists working across a range of disciplines, but are particularly interested in hearing from artists working within Dance, Visual Arts, Digital Arts, Combined Arts and Creative Writing. Proposals should cover a time period of between 6-12 weeks, based on a model of engaging with the group for no more than three hours weekly.

All Candidates must be DBS checked or willing to undergo DBS and should have an active interest in participatory arts.

To apply, please submit a CV, portfolio or biography and a proposal (no longer than one side of A4) to by 27 May at 5pm.