MORE residents in Worcestershire living with dementia and their families/carers are set to benefit from a project to help them relive their memories from the 40s, 50s, and 60s using the art of storytelling.

The project, called Suitcase Stories, was piloted in six Wychavon care homes and then extended last year. It is run by Museums Worcestershire and is now scheduled to come to Evesham in February.

The Evesham reminiscence, storytelling and music workshops will take place at Evesham Library over six weeks starting from February 9 and will run from 12 noon until 2pm.

Participants in Suitcase Stories workshops will each hold, touch, smell and feel objects such as carbolic soap and old pictures of the Royal Family, which will come from the Museums Worcestershire collections.

Their reactions to the objects and their memories will inspire new stories about the participants and Worcestershire’s past and allow storytellers and musicians Gavin and Gemma Young to capture these stories and create a live performance of storytelling and music.

The new stories will then be performed live at the Evesham dementia café, which is at the Scout Hut in Hampton, on Wednesday April 5.

By bringing together museum objects for reminiscence, and the arts for creative expression, Museums Worcestershire is aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of Worcestershire residents living with dementia.

For more information and to book a place on the Evesham Suitcase Stories workshop, or for details of the live café performance, please contact Jenny Davis on 07946 585978 or email jenny@artsuplift.co.uk.

Councillor Gerry O’Donnell, Wychavon District Council portfolio holder responsible for promoting health and wellbeing, said: “The Suitcase Stories project is a creative and inspirational way to help people living with dementia reconnect with their memories.

“And by using music and the craft of storytelling to bring these memories to life once more, we can capture unique moments and experiences in time that can then be shared and enjoyed by other people, whether visiting our museums in Worcestershire or at the live performance at the Evesham dementia café.”

Gemma Dhami, from Museums Worcestershire, said: “Suitcase Stories is an exciting opportunity for Worcestershire residents to experience the impact of arts and culture on health and wellbeing. By bringing together objects from Museums Worcestershire and the artistic skills of storyteller Gavin Young, we hope to create an exciting and worthwhile experience for many of our residents.”

The project will work with 72 people across the county directly, with over 200 more benefiting as a live audience. The stories will also be recorded and made available as a podcast and CD on various websites.

This project has been generously supported by Arts Council England, The Elmley Foundation, Bromsgrove and Redditch Councils, Malvern Hills District Council, Worcester City Council, Worcestershire County Council, Wychavon District Council and Wyre Forest District Council.