Mask theatre project to give South Asian families living with dementia a new way to be heard

For some South Asian families, dementia can be a difficult topic. DOSTIA CIC, who provide culturally sensitive dementia support specifically for South Asian and ethnically diverse families, has seen how language barriers, stigma and expectations can make dementia difficult to talk about openly. Making it harder to seek support or access services.

Now, a striking new character is being created in the West Midlands to give these experiences a platform, thanks to funding from The Dementia Trust.

Ananaya, a full mask theatre character, will bring stories of dementia to life through movement, music and South Asian dance, exploring beyond words experiences including loneliness, connection, dignity, caring and change.

The ambitious new collaboration brings together Vamos Theatre, Sonia Sabri Company, DOSTIA CIC and Worcester Mela, who are all equally passionate about better support for people living with dementia, particularly people from South Asian communities.

The group has received £15,000 from the Dementia Trust Disruption Awards to create Ananaya and seven short films giving people living with dementia and their carers a new way to share their experiences. 

Rachael Savage, Artistic Director of Vamos Theatre, said:

“This funding is allowing us to turn years of conversations and shared ambition into something real. We want to create a space where people living with dementia and their carers can share experiences that aren't always heard and have the freedom to express themselves in their own way.

“We hope Ananaya will capture the humour, dignity, frustration, love and humanity that can so easily get lost when we talk about dementia only in clinical terms. Taking away words gives us another way to communicate and really see the person behind the diagnosis.”

Sonia Sabri MBE, Artistic Director of Sonia Sabri Company, said:

“Dance has always been a powerful way of telling stories without words. What makes Beyond Words so exciting is the opportunity to bring these different art forms together to create new ways of talking about dementia.

“South Asian dance is rooted in movement and storytelling, and when that comes together with Vamos Theatre’s full mask approach, it creates a completely different way of communicating.”

Over the next 18 months, the group will move from co-creation and creative workshops into character development, filmmaking and dissemination, with the finished films shared widely to help support as many families as possible.

The collaboration hopes that the creative outputs will also be used in training and awareness work, helping health and social care providers better understand the experiences of South Asian families living with dementia.

Dylan Harper, Chair at The Dementia Trust, said:

“Beyond Words is exactly the kind of bold thinking that we created the Disruption Awards to support.

“The project has the potential to reach people who traditional approaches may not reach and it challenges us all to think about how we can communicate in completely new and exciting ways.

“We are delighted to provide £15,000 to help bring this ambitious collaboration to life and I can’t wait to meet Ananaya.”

The Dementia Trust is a UK-based charity that for nearly 40 years has improved the lives of people with dementia, their carers, and those who support them. 

Image credits: Vamos Theatre and Sonia Sabri Company