NGA's Art and Dementia program
Taking the NGA's dementia arts program out of Canberra
Since 2007 the National Gallery of Australia has been on the forefront of non-pharmaceutical treatment for people living with dementia. Under the guidance of Adriane Boag, the National Gallery’s Program Convenor Access Inclusion, the Gallery started a series of art based workshops called Making It. It is an extraordinary project, based on the now widely influential research conducted by Sarah MacPherson, clinical psychologist Dr Mike Bird et al at the Australian National University. It was through these workshops that people living with dementia had the “opportunity for intellectual stimulation, creative engagement, social interaction, and personal reflection” (Camic et al., 2016; Cavalcanti Barroso et al., 2022; D'Cunha et al., 2020; Ullán et al., 2013)
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Frontend development Web design |
Hon Boey (as part of Interaction Consortium) |
| Identity | Studio Ongarato |
| Program managers |
Adriane Boag Harriet Body |
These workshops take on two dimensions:
Group conversations, involving viewing and discussing paintings, photographs, sculptures, textiles and other objects found in the Gallery
Art-making sessions, inspired by the works that they have discussed. Such pieces can include painting, drawing, working with clay and story building (
When you think about it, the Gallery is an obvious location for the program. You are surrounded by works of art, with a seemingly endless variety of pieces to discuss. Connections between pieces can be made which further enhances insights and stimulation.
Another characteristic that distinguishes these programs from other art interventions is that these sessions are conducted with gallery or museum staff who are experts in their field. Combined with dementia-specific training the staff are an invaluable resource to those with dementia.
However, having these workshops on site at the Gallery can be limiting. For the program to be truly national, it was necessary to provide an online option – taking the workshops into homes, residential aged care facilities and local art spaces across the country. This was further compounded by COVID 19.
