Chelmsford Museum to interpret art through the voices of people living with dementia

A new exhibition at Chelmsford Museum will explore art from an alternative viewpoint by working with people living with dementia and their companions.

Shifting Perspectives: Exploring Art Together opens in March 2025 and continues the museum’s work to break down barriers and provide opportunities for diverse audiences to engage with culture.

The museum has partnered with UK dementia charity Alzheimer’s Society for the project, and worked alongside those living with dementia and their companions to explore, discuss and co-curate works of art from the museum’s collections.

Shifting Perspectives will shine a light on female artists in the museum collection while highlighting statistics on dementia in women

Last summer, Chelmsford Museum and Alzheimer’s Society invited people living with dementia and their companions to take part in Shifting Perspectives. The group worked with the museum to select works of art for the exhibition during dedicated workshops in October and November.  

Participants viewed varied artworks and discussed how they made them feel during the workshops.

Exhibition lead, Claire Willetts, deliberately chose a wide selection of artworks by female artists for the participants to choose from. This theme was chosen to showcase female artists who have been historically overlooked, but also to highlight the statistics which show women are at significantly higher risk of developing dementia over men:

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“I initially saw this exhibition as an opportunity to reconsider the little-known female artists in Chelmsford Museum’s collections, looking at their artworks in a modern context and celebrating their contributions.

“When I then discovered that twice as many women have Alzheimer’s disease – the most common type of dementia – compared to men, this theme of female artists became even more valuable. It became an opportunity for us to raise awareness of these troubling statistics as we work with those directly affected by dementia. Our workshops have been a great opportunity to simply have a conversation about these artworks, acknowledging that we all see and connect with them in different ways and that was wonderfully enriching for us all. The exhibition will invite visitors to really look at the works on display in a mindful way and share their own thoughts. All responses welcome!”

Claire Willetts, Curatorial and Learning Officer, Chelmsford Museum

Participants’ chosen artworks to form the foundation of the exhibition

During the workshops, participants were encouraged to discuss the works of art together; taking their time to observe them and identify which ones they valued from an aesthetic viewpoint. They were asked to consider why they liked each artwork, what they thought it meant and how it made them feel, before information about the artwork and artist was revealed.

This approach to art is considered part of the ‘Slow Art Movement’, which encourages viewers to look at art more slowly and deeply, taking the time to connect with each piece and consider the meaning and emotions within.

Diana Mayo's 'Chelmsford City' and Doris Boulton-Maude's 'Point of View' will be displayed in the exhibition.

The participants’ favoured artworks from the workshops will form the foundation of the exhibition. Visitors will be able to view the artworks on display before reading participants’ personal reflections on each piece, as well as the artistic and curatorial interpretations.

Providing opportunities for people living with dementia to interact with art in a different way

As well as learning to look at art more slowly, the workshops aimed to provide a safe space for people living with dementia and their companions to meet people facing similar challenges, and express their feelings and opinions together. Cllr Jennie Lardge, Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services, says increasing access to the arts for diverse groups is a core aim for Chelmsford Museum:

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“We want to improve access to Chelmsford Museum’s collections for all, but especially for diverse groups – such as those living with dementia – who often face barriers to interacting with art. Shifting Perspectives has achieved this in a wonderful way, giving a group of people living with dementia the chance to get out, have conversations with new people and engage with art in ways they may not have had the chance to in recent years.

“At the same time, I’m excited that the museum is preparing to showcase some of its artwork that hasn’t been on public display in recent years, giving us a new perspective on existing works of art in the collection. I’m looking forward to seeing the participants’ chosen artworks and interpretations.”

Cllr Jennie Lardge, Cabinet Deputy for Cultural Services, Chelmsford City Council

Michelle Burrows, Involvement Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said:

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“We want to thank Chelmsford Museum for working with Alzheimer’s Society and people affected by dementia, who have helped to shape this exhibition. Dementia doesn’t discriminate and only by listening to people with dementia, can we remove the obstacles and improve accessibility for everyone.

“There are around one million people living with dementia in the UK, including more than 29,000 people across Essex. Projects such as Shifting Perspectives are a wonderful example of the small actions we can take to help reduce isolation for people living with dementia and their carers, helping people to stay connected and improving their wellbeing.”

Michelle Burrows, Involvement Officer, Alzheimer’s Society

The project workshops were run by Catherine Chastney from I Picture This, an organisation that uses art to connect people and improve wellbeing by bringing reproductions of well-known artworks into care homes and community groups. Claire Willetts, the museum’s dementia-trained volunteers, and Alzheimer’s Society representative Michelle Burrows were also present to support the participants during each workshop.

After four weeks of looking at the art, the participants’ feedback showed that the workshops had been a valuable opportunity for them to enjoy conversations with new people and look at art in a different way. Comments included “I enjoyed the opportunity to 'look' at artwork and consider it more deeply”, “it was challenging in a positive way”, and “I enjoyed attending and being with other people”.

Continuing Chelmsford Museum’s ‘Dementia Friendly’ initiatives

Shifting Perspectives continues Chelmsford Museum’s recent work to create an inclusive environment for people living with dementia. In January 2024 the museum launched its Memory Café, which provides a regular opportunity for people living with dementia to socialise with others and explore the past whilst enjoying a cup of tea. Following the success of this and other initiatives, the museum was awarded Dementia Friendly accreditation in May 2024 from the Chelmsford District Inclusive Dementia Community.

Shifting Perspectives: Exploring Art Together opens at Chelmsford Museum on 22 March 2025 and will be on display until 2 November 2025.

Dementia support from Alzheimer’s Society

If you or a loved one are affected by dementia and would like some support you can contact Alzheimer’s Society’s dedicated Dementia Support Helpline on 0333 150 3456. Your call will be answered directly by a dementia adviser who will be able to answer your questions and offer you support. Find out more about dementia at www.alzheimers.org.uk.