The campaign has a clear vision:
“By 2020 we want to:
- Have the support of the music, social, health, and care sectors in making music readily available for people living with dementia.
- Create a collective understanding across society that music is a necessity for people living with dementia and they need access to it now.
When we talk about music being readily available, we are talking about the whole spectrum of music, from understanding how to create the right environments in care settings through appropriate use of the radio through to active participation in live music making, playlists, listening to performances, using music to enhance and enrich care, and music therapy. People should and need to be able to make choices about what types of musical activities are best for them. This campaign wants to make sure that choice is available to you wherever you live across the UK, and that you have access to high quality musical activities, from the best in the latest music technology to evidence based music therapy.
There is excellent work taking place across the country which some have access to but not all. We want to make sure that everyone has access to music, and at the moment we know that isn’t happening. To do that, we must come together, share the message ‘for people living with dementia, music isn’t a nicety, it’s a necessity’, and help people across society to understand that music truly can and does improve the quality of life of people living with dementia. We can achieve this by working together, promoting and supporting each other’s work, sharing skills and knowledge and by speaking with a united voice.
We are a musical nation and through this campaign, we can unite to make music readily available for everyone living with dementia by 2020.
What would life be – without a song and dance, what are we?
Following a sector wide Commission into Dementia and Music, conducted by the International Longevity Centre – UK, funded by The Utley Foundation, people living with dementia, senior academics, politicians, researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders were brought together to discuss how we can be more effective in meeting the challenge of dementia through music. The views of almost 1,500 stakeholders across the dementia care and music sectors were solicited and directly informed the report.
The findings of the report, launched in the House of Lords in January 2018, clarifies the gaps, needs and powerfully strengthens the case for bringing music for dementia further into the public forum so that this vital work can be scaled and grown.
The value and power of music for people with dementia is clear, so spread the word and let’s work together to meet the challenge of dementia through music.”
When The Fog Lifts 