The daily lives and experiences of people living with dementia in Kirriemuir were put in the spotlight at the weekend.
The exhibition at the Bank Street Gallery in Kirriemuir opened on Saturday to showcase photographs made by participants during the project, alongside a soundtrack which highlights their personal narrative and journey.
The project involved documentary photographer Keith Davenport and composer Dr Shona Mackay collaborating with Kirrie Connections, which is a dementia friendly community hub.
Kirrie Connections held a weekly camera club to help people with dementia make images about their daily lives in whichever way they saw fit.
Dr Mackay created a corresponding sonic element which included sound recordings made from conversations with participants.
The exhibition will now move to other locations.
Mr Davenport’s aim is now to work towards rolling out the initiative across Scotland.
Mr Davenport said: “Reframing Dementia is a documentary photography project with the aim to challenge how dementia is perceived.
“The inspiration was to work with people who were recently diagnosed with dementia and help them document their lives.”
“Having trained as a documentary photographer I was in a great position to give something back to that community and to help people see some of the realities of living with dementia.
“Shona and I were both very keen to change people’s perceptions of what is shown in the wider media.”
Dr Mackay said participants mentioned that taking photographs reminded them of things from the past and helped to make memories for the future.
“There was also a mention of new skills being discovered, perhaps skills that they didn’t have access to before,” she said.
“Participants’ families said they could see a difference and feel a difference in their family members, and also mentioned how keen they were to take their cameras everywhere with them.
“It’s such a brilliant thing because Keith and I were seeing them once a week but really it’s about the ongoing impact and how families experience that as well.”
She said they wanted to show the “realities of living with dementia” and is looking forward to taking the initiative across the country.
“It is such a worthwhile project that will have a different impact on different communities and that’s the interesting thing about it,” she said.
“No two people will experience dementia the same way and the images and audio that come from that will be entirely unique.”
Graham Galloway, Kirrie Connections manager, said they have been delighted to be part of the art project.
He said: “The voices of people living with dementia are so often ignored, marginalised and hidden.
“This project has allowed those taking part to tell their own stories through their photos.
“It has been an incredibly empowering experience for many of those who took part.”
