[Webinar Recording] Capturing rural lives: Using photography to share stories of dementia and caregiving

This webinar brought together artist and facilitator Ellie Robinson‑Carter, founder of The Photobook Project, and cognitive neuroscientist Professor Catherine Loveday to explore how photography can illuminate the lived experience of dementia.

The session first heard from Ellie Robinson‑Carter, who shared the story of The Photobook Project. The project invited people living with dementia and their wider communities to capture their experiences in meaningful ways. In response to a chosen theme (such as a season or a meaningful object), individuals took photographs on disposable cameras alongside other creative activities, including writing poems, painting flowers, or making cyanotypes. The often tender and breathtaking results were used to create a series of photobooks. Each collection was kept at the heart of the participating group’s community (for example, a community centre), and each individual was gifted a photobook of their choice.

During the webinar, Ellie reflected on how The Photobook Project had enabled people living with dementia to showcase their experiences of rurality. She shared examples of how the project had sparked and fostered intergenerational connections in relation to place and environment, as well as highlighting the remote engagement opportunities the project presented.

The webinar then heard from Professor Catherine Loveday, who shared her work on using photographs to understand the experiences of caregivers in the UK, USA, Brazil and South Africa. Participants in each country were asked to submit a selection of photos representing what caring meant to them. These photographs formed the basis of one‑to‑one interviews with caregivers, exploring the different ways they understood and navigated their roles. Interviews were carried out online, sometimes by a research fellow (UK and USA) and sometimes by a local researcher supported by the central research team (Brazil and South Africa). Catherine reflected on how this methodology facilitated connection with individuals living in very diverse environments, often far from the research team, as well as some of the challenges the research team encountered.

The SPIN‑D Network Plus Rural and Coastal Special Interest Group (SIG) was set up with support from Empower Network Plus to connect people with lived experience, community organisations, practitioners and researchers focused on brain health, dementia prevention and dementia support in rural, remote, island and coastal communities.

Looking ahead

Reflecting on the webinar, Faye Watson said:

“I really enjoyed convening and introducing the first Rurality SIG webinar. It was energising to bring people together and to see the creative ways colleagues are connecting with and involving people in rural areas. The session reaffirmed the value of sharing practice and learning across different rural contexts. ”

Learn more

SPIN-D Network Plus – join the network and mailing list
https://spindementianet.org/join-our-network/

EMPOWER Network Plus EMPOWER Dementia Network+ | Empowering a meaningful life for all with Dementia

The Photobook project: About – The Photobook Project