11 June 2019
The inaugural National Day of Arts in Care Homes will take place in care homes countrywide on Tuesday 24 September 2019 – an exciting day to highlight the great work in the arts going on in care homes and encouraging more! And today (11/06/19) sees the launch of the brand new website www.artsincarehomes.org.uk – for the first time joining all arts resources together and providing everything you need to get involved.
There will be two brand new arts projects especially for the National Day of Arts in Care Homes giving residents access to the arts:
Only Connect – is a creative letters and pen pal project. There will be an unique resource pack with ideas, writers’ circles, local contacts, in-home post boxes and even original letters actually written & dated 24 September from the Royal Archives and Royal Albert Hall, including a letter written by Vincent Van Gogh on 24 September 1883. Musician and sound artist Nick Jones will be setting one of the special Only Connect letters to an original piece of music – and will be the first Only Connect song to be performed on the day.
Arts Fund Voucher Scheme – is a new initiative to help relatives and friends become more involved in the life of care homes and to encourage more arts provision. You can purchase an Arts Fund Voucher and the care home then uses the voucher to pay towards an arts related project of your choice. Maybe something long term like setting up an in-house choir, or smaller like an art workshop or an actor coming to read – creativity that your friend / relative would enjoy in the latter part of their lives learning new skills and sharing stories.
This first National Day of Arts in Care Homes is funded jointly by the Baring Foundation and the Rayne Foundation and delivered by NAPA (the National Activity Providers Association).
