Article by Lily Jackson with input from Workshop Assistant Esther Marshall.

Facilitated by artist Jane Fordham, Drawing and Making for dementia began in 2018 to bring community and creativity to people living with dementia in seniors housing within Brighton & Hove.

Jane continues the project in 2026, assisted by Workshop Assistant, Esther Marshall, delivering weekly Monday afternoon sessions for the residents at Brooke Mead, a Brighton & Hove City Council seniors housing site which caters specifically to people living with dementia.

Inclusive to all, the workshops support any participant, regardless of artistic confidence, to express themselves free of judgement and explore creative media for a personal stimulating experience. The Brooke Mead residents with dementia were encouraged to approach the workshops tasks and materials in their own way to keep it fun. 

Sessions follow a weekly new theme and take various shapes within that, with some including life drawing, collaborative zine making, clay modelling, and others being themed as tea parties with integrated drawing exploring still life. This approach encourages any participant to join and enjoy creativity on their own terms and at their own pace, connected by broader interests and positive experiences.

The Drawing and Making workshop at Brooke Mead prioritises centring subjects that the participants are interested in throughout our sessions.

“The group and the activity is theirs now. Rather than coming to something that feels like an activity, they come and continue something that feels like their artwork” – Jane.

As everybody has such specific ways of working and imagery they gravitate to. Each week we ask if they have more they’d like to try. We’re often given new arts and imagery to fetch for them to have a go with. We then get very honest feedback (which we love) about what they like and what they hate.

The sessions are a relaxed creative space with tea, treats and the sounds of drawing garnering feedback from residents such as:

"I'm quite happy, I could sit here for hours"

“I do art upstairs in my own time now, I’m drawing mad”

“Ah… what an atmosphere, what a beautiful calm after being on the busy street. This is what I need to remember because this is what it’s about. It’s important that I see it”

– Participants

The workshop offers a time of sentimental reflection, a chance to connect with one another and to look back on fond memories. Art is what we do with this group but the core point of the session is to bring people together and support them in the time we have with them. Being able to have these open more personal conversation about our attendees experience with their dementia their relationship and thoughts feelings towards it, about how they are doing with their diagnosis is so important and it's invaluable that we can create an atmosphere to allow them to happen.

Drawing & Making for dementia has received support from Age UK Brighton & Hove through the Dementia Action Alliance, Brighton & Hove Seniors Housing, Brighton District Nurses Association, The Hedley Foundation and the Souter Charitable Trust.