Venue: Theatre 2, Irish World Academy
Presenters: Dr Cathy McGlynn, Ann Blake, Dr Orfhlaith Ní Bhriain, Dr Morgan Senter and Professor Amanda Clifford
Co-Chairs: Dr Tríona McCaffrey and Dr Kathleen Turner
Creative arts programmes are gaining increasing recognition for their capacity to offer people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD) and their spouses/carers with shared opportunities for therapeutic engagement. This particular area of arts and health practice and research has grown considerably over the past decade, with a number of related projects from Ireland making leading contributions to this field. This seminar will focus on creative arts projects for PwPD and their spouses/carers. This will include a presentation on the ‘Parkinsongs Choir’ that was founded in 2017 as an inclusive community singing group in Limerick, followed by a presentation on a number of social dance projects led by the University of Limerick. With presentations from community musicians, music therapists and dance and health practitioners, alongside lived experience reflections on programme engagement, this seminar will highlight how the creative arts are being utilised and received by PwPD and their spouses/carers.
Dr Cathy McGlynn is a music therapist based in Limerick, who facilitates the Parkinsongs singing group and the Melodies Memory dementia choir, and also runs several music therapy groups for the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland.
Ann Blake is a community musician and theatre practitioner with a diverse practice including facilitation of Parkinsongs singing group.
Dr Morgan Senter, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Allied Health, University of Limerick. Morgan is a qualitative, dance-based researcher whose work explores the factors that make dance programmes for people living with Parkinson's disease meaningful and sustainable over time.
Amanda Clifford is Professor of Physiotherapy in the School of Allied Health in UL. Her research includes the design and evaluation of evidence-based programmes for health and wellbeing across the lifespan and people living with neurological conditions. She has a particular interest in the role of music and dance.