Kym runs Creative Mojo Chichester, Portsmouth & Surrounding Areas territory.
Over the months there have been many special ‘Mojo’ moments, from the joy on the face of a lady with advanced dementia (and the staff!) as she painted different coloured dots on her beach hut shape to the rhythm of “Oh I do like to be beside the seaside” we sang together (she had never joined in craft activities before), to the care and pride a gentleman with downs syndrome, who is registered blind, took in completing a leaf shape on his own using different paints and oil pastels.
It’s always a pleasure working with groups of residents on each project, as well as with activity co-ordinators on special request projects. Some of these have included creating garden decorations with children from a local nursery for a Summer Fair, taking part in our local Dementia Awareness Week Forget-me-not community project displayed at Havant Civic Offices, and creating a bespoke Strictly Come Dancing poster for a Care Home summer ball.
Our Creative Mojo national projects have been a highlight this year and a fabulous experience for myself and the talented residents, staff and family members who have taken part. Many group members loved the excitement of creating art as part of a national initiative that would be shared and viewed by the public, as well as having the opportunity to take trips out to see their work. We were so proud to have the amazing work of residents and community groups proudly exhibited in two local libraries as part of the ‘Gardens of the World’ project.
I’ve been fortunate to work on a one to one basis with a number of individuals and love building these relationships and exploring different creative ideas and media together. I also work alongside the Dementia Adviser service and offer a monthly Dementia Friendly art and social groups for people with dementia and their carers in Waterlooville library (Image seen here). These groups have been well received and so often group members express their thanks in being able to ‘take time out’ and relax in an supportive, informal, creative group.
Being part of the Mojo family, having the support of Head Office and fellow Mojo’s across the country, and working creatively in care homes and community groups has been such a rewarding experience. I recently expanded the area I cover to incorporate offering workshops in Portsmouth, Fareham and Gosport and I am really looking forward to offering more Mojo workshops in these areas.
