Gwynedd exhibition of artwork by care home residents with dementia

Co Fi (My Memory) is a co-production between Galeri Caernarfon and Pendine Park’s Bryn Seiont Newydd care home on the outskirts of Caernarfon.

Paintings depicting scenes of Eryri landscapes adorn the walls of Galeri's Safle Creu (Creative Space) while the recreation of a living room revives memories from bygone days through song and words.

After spending hours creating the paintings, sometimes aided by children from several of Caernarfon's primary schools, the artistic residents visited Galeri to see their work on display.

Pendine Parks' Bryn Seiont Newydd residents display their artwork at Galeri Caernarfon; Residents Eve Flint and Marie Hughes with Artist Elliw Owen. (Image: Mandy Jones)

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Pendine enrichment co-ordinator Elliw Owen led the drawing work and created artwork with the residents, inspired by the spectacular landscapes of the Eryri National Park.

She said: "Each lounge in Bryn Seiont Newydd is named after places such as Glyder, Wyddfa, Moelwyn, Elidir and so on, and artwork was created with the residents of the lounges with this in mind.

"Just because they live with dementia in a care home doesn't mean they can no longer enjoy the arts.

“Creating music and art as part of the day-to-day care is essential, as well as presenting and supporting external organizations such as schools and local choirs.

"Music is one of the few things that people living with dementia can still process, music can be used to connect and open up avenues of communication and at Bryn Seiont Newydd we always strive to find the person behind the dementia."

Resident Eve Flint, from Cemaes, Anglesey, was pleased to see her painting of the Glaslyn estuary at Porthmadog with the mountain of the Moelwynion in the background.

The 86-year-old said: "I've always done a lot of art and there's always something on the go and this painting was one I made earlier this year.

"I was born and raised in Port Sunlight near Birkenhead which was built to house workers at a soap-making factory.

“It's very beautiful with colourful cottages surrounded by fields and woodland. It was a lovely place to grow up.”

Another resident Marie Hughes, 73 and originally from Holyhead, was also delighted to see her work on show.

"I enjoy painting and making things it was just lovely working with the children when they came to Bryn Seiont and I enjoy visiting Galeri," she said.

Bryn Seiont newydd's resident musician and head of enrichment, Nia Davies Williams, said: "The main purpose of this project is to show that life and creativity does not come to an end following a dementia diagnosis and that the arts still provide an escape to express, inspire and gladden.

"The idea started as a community project by Galeri that wanted to bring armchairs to life by playing soundtracks of the voices and memories of the older generations of Cofis, the people of Caernarfon, through speakers embedded in the chairs.

"The idea developed when Galeri connected with our art programme through the annual Agored exhibition and created an exhibition in and of itself.

"At the back of Safle Creu you'll see a re-creation of a living room of times gone-by which feature armchairs from Bryn Seiont Newydd where visitors can sit back, relax and listen to the joyful memories of the residents and songs sung by the residents and recorded by our creative practitioner, Emyr Gibson.

"There are also photos of artwork created over the years with art sessions in response to music, with the focus is on the residents' ability to create despite their dementia.”

Co Fi can be seen at Galeri Caernarfon until early September. Admission is free.