Inside Out Of Mind

Professor Justine Schneider
Professor of Mental Health and Social Care, Faculty of Social Sciences

Inside Out of Mind is an innovative theatre project which brought together ethnographic researchers with arts practitioners to tackle the challenge of dementia care. The resulting play brilliantly illustrates the multiple realities of life on a dementia ward and is an inspiring collaboration between Meeting Ground Theatre Company, Lakeside Arts, The University of Nottingham's Institute of Mental Health and the NHS.

Inside Out of Mind is based on field notes kept during months of participant observation in dementia wards by researchers Simon Bailey, Kezia Scales and Joanne Lloyd. Writer and Director Tanya Myers used the highly detailed and extensive notes as a 'seed' to inspire this play about the largely mysterious world of inpatient dementia care.

Inside out of Mind was first performed to 2,301 NHS Care Assistants and general public at Lakeside Arts, University of Nottingham. Audience members were genuinely moved by watching the performers depict on stage what they experienced every day with their patients, or family members with dementia.

In 2015, with the support of Strategic Touring Funding from Arts Council England, the production visited six major venues across England reaching another 5,348 people, including those working in the NHS Care and private care sectors, but also the general public. The Royal College of Nursing Foundation and Health Education England supported linked learning packages to cascade learning to audiences across the country.

In the same year, the University funded a live recording of the acclaimed theatre production which would be used as a cost-effective training tool, disseminating the powerful messages about dementia care to audiences working in hospital settings or residential care. Supported by facilitated discussion and an online workbook, screenings were held across the country and have already reached more than 1,500 people from Portsmouth to Shrewsbury, Newcastle to the Isle of Wight.

I have been able to train 200 staff as a result of this fantastic opportunity’ 
David Leeson, Clinical Education Lead

I’ve been in the NHS nearly 32 years and I learned a lot from it’
Modern Matron

‘I do this every day and it taught me about my job’
Health Care Assistant