Photography by Steve Davies www.innerfocus.co.uk
Story telling makes us human. We create meaning from personal and collective narratives. But when time and its contents are drifting apart, objects and pictures may tell a story better than words. ‘Inside Out of Mind’ is like a fugue; a layering of worlds within worlds. Routine on the ‘Ward with No Name’ is woven together with the life stories of dementia patients, family and carers. ‘Never forget the person’ echoes down its corridors.
In 2010, Prof Justine Schneider and her three ethnographers, Simon, Joanne and Kezia made a courageous decision to commission a theatre production to respond to their research material; gleaned from months of written observations working alongside HCA’s (Health Care Assistants) on three dementia wards in Nottinghamshire.
I accepted the challenge with trepidation and delight, on behalf of Meeting Ground Theatre Company, promising to create a beautiful piece of theatre to touch heart and mind.
In 2013 – thanks to our brilliant creative team and company of actors we fulfilled our promise – Formerly Observed patients and carers transformed into Observers of theatre. Many of our precious audience coming from NHS and wider caring communities; travelling from hospitals into theatres; witnessing their voices take the centre stage.
“Validation. That’s what folks need, inside and out. Someone to listen. Really Listen.”
– Nurse Grace
In 2015 – Meeting Ground invited photographer Steve Davies to observe and document our rehearsal process as we prepared for a national tour of Inside Out of Mind, asking Steve to record the heart of our process. We didn’t want production shots, we wanted those moments of discovery, moments of reflection, perplexity; unheralded private moments or moments of pure joy and realization.
Photographic documentation of Inside Out of Mind rehearsals with audio by Steve Davies
“Pictures speak louder than words, don’t they love?”
– HCA Brenda
Thank you Steve. You have given us validation. You have touched the heart of both creative processes inside and out, revealing humour, commitment and focus behind the scenes.
Tanya Myers (author and director of Inside Out of Mind 2105)
