Health Minister Meeting

Today, we had the privilege of meeting with the Minister of Health at Stormont to present our Plays Aloud programme and highlight the vital role of the arts in social care.

We shared how Plays Aloud brings specially trained professional performers into care homes, assisted living schemes, and social care settings across Northern Ireland. Our performances are designed to foster connection, well-being, and cognitive stimulation in older adults, particularly those living with dementia.

Our performers do more than entertain—they create real moments of engagement. They kneel down, make eye contact, hold hands, and truly connect. Sometimes, this is the first moment of real communication a resident has had for a while. The power of nostalgia and music helps unlock memories and emotions, making a real difference to well-being.

We also discussed how we have expanded Plays Aloud beyond performances to include arts-based workshops and carer training, thanks to recent funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. Our workshops are designed to bring creativity and joy to older adults while equipping care staff with the tools to sustain meaningful arts engagement.

Additionally, we presented our Dementia: Changing Perspectives virtual reality training programme, which immerses users in the lived experience of dementia to build empathy and understanding among caregivers. This initiative, supported by Future Screens NI, is being developed in collaboration with Ulster University to become a key training tool for nursing and paramedic students.

We discussed how we look forward to strengthening our partnerships within the health sector and ensuring that more people can experience the transformative power of the arts.