This week marks Dementia Awareness Week, an annual campaign held to raise awareness of dementia and help improve the lives of people living with it, and those who care for them. This year’s campaign, led by Alzheimer Scotland, is centred around the theme ‘Better care, full stop’, highlighting the importance of good quality, consistent care regardless of where someone lives or what stage of the condition, they are at. For people living with dementia in Scotland, post-diagnostic support can be a postcode lottery, and many families and carers are left waiting until crisis point before they can access help. It’s a powerful reminder of why community-based support, connection, and belonging matter so much.

At NEA, we believe that creativity, connection, and care should be accessible and available to everyone. Our dementia-friendly activities are an important part of making sure that people living with dementia, and those who support them, feel welcomed and included in our community. By working in partnership with local people, and local groups and organisations, we’re able to create welcoming activities that truly support our community and make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Our dementia-friendly programme

At North Edinburgh Arts, we’re running a dementia-friendly programme for local people living with dementia, and their families and carers. Our dementia-friendly activities offer a chance to relax, be creative, and connect with others in a safe and friendly space close to home in Muirhouse. One of our participants described North Edinburgh Arts as ‘a second home for us’.

We’ve also partnered with the Forget Me Notes Project who run an intergenerational Music and Movement group every Wednesday morning at North Edinburgh Arts. This intergenerational project is an exciting partnership that provides a morning of fun and musical expression in a dementia-friendly setting.

Sunshine Social Club

Supported by Meeting Centres Scotland

Mondays, 10.30am – 12.30pm

We host a dementia-friendly social club for people in the early stages of dementia, those newly diagnosed, or awaiting a diagnosis. Each session includes a variety of activities followed by lunch. It is a great opportunity to take time to have fun, explore creativity and engage in a social time with others from the local community. Recently, we made a colourful scrapbook in a workshop led by Tortoise in a Nutshell (see the cover image and the image below for what we’ve created).

First session is free; after that, we suggest a £5 donation (carers come free).

For more information or to register, please call 07493 876130 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk

Monthly Dementia-Friendly Film Club

Supported by Muirhouse Housing Association

We’re running a dementia-friendly film club at NEA. These screenings are designed to create a warm and welcoming environment where people with dementia, their carers, and family members can enjoy a film together and connect with others.

To help everyone feel comfortable, we make some small but important adjustments:

• Lights will be dimmed but not fully dark to reduce anxiety.
• The cinema won’t be filled to avoid large crowds.
• There will be a short interval with light refreshments.

Join us for our next screening on Thursday 25 June at 1.30pm, when we’ll be showing Summer Holiday, packed with catchy 60s pop tunes and light-hearted charm. Find out more at Dementia Friendly Film Club: Summer Holiday – NEA

To book tickets or request accessible seating, please call/text 07493 876130 or email fiona@northedinburgharts.co.uk

Images below were taken in a collage-making workshop led by a local artist Yasmin Shorter.