Arts-based approaches are effective tools for researching and sharing knowledge about ‘taboo’ topics like death and dementia.
Their multi-sensory, accessible nature helps convey complex experiences, reveal inequities, and educate diverse audiences about health and illness. Research shows these approaches can foster empathy, stimulate reflection and dialogue, and influence practice and policy, while transcending literacy barriers to broaden reach and impact.
In this project, we chose three arts-based mediums to share, in different ways, important messages in the ‘Dying on Our Own Terms’ Framework:
- research-informed documentary films (Coming soon)
- digital stories
- visual art (Coming soon)
Research-informed documentary films
The team is working together, and with film director/producer Anthony Grani, to co-create two documentary films grounded in our research and the 'Dying on Our Own Terms’ Framework. The films target diverse audiences.
Films coming soon...check back to view these resources.
Digital stories: Death, dying, end-of-life and dementia
Perspectives of people living with dementia and young carers
The team partnered with Re•Vision: The Centre for Art and Social Justice to support people living with dementia and young carers in the creation of digital stories about their experiences.
Seven digital stories—two created by people living with dementia and five by young carers—were produced to raise awareness among young carers about dementia and the importance of discussing end-of-life wishes. These stories highlight end-of-life conversations while sharing the lived experiences of both individuals with dementia and the young people who support them.