Creative Arts East: Our Day Out
An evaluation report from Our Day Out, a participatory arts project which brought wellbeing and connection to people in Norfolk with dementia and long-term heath conditions.
Our Day Out
This project is now closed
A unique dementia-friendly programme of creative arts for rurally-isolated older people, their families and carers in Norfolk
Project information
£430,989
Total Spirit grant
Sep 2016 – August 2022
Project duration
Creative Arts East
Grantee organisation
Our Day Out was a unique dementia-friendly programme of creative arts for rurally-isolated older people in Norfolk. The programme aimed to reinvigorate their engagement with high-quality arts and also to evaluate the impact of regular creative engagement on the wellbeing of older people, and the perception of disability within that group.
At the end of the programme’s initial grant, Spirit announced extended funding, which allowed the programme to continue for a further three years. The six groups which initially made up the programme continued and, thanks to investment from the National Lottery Community Fund, another two groups were set up in West Norfolk.
In Norfolk, around 7% of the over-65 population (nearly 15,000 people) live with dementia. Almost 21,000 people over the age of 65 are ‘lonely all or most of the time’. Creative Arts East worked with local and national dance and music organisations to deliver an exciting programme of activities and to share learning and creative output with the wider community through celebratory events.