A SMILE
INSIDE.
LATER LIFE
DANCERS.
COMMUNITY
PARTICIPATION.
DANCE FOR
CAMERA.
PATIENTS BECOME STORYTELLERS.
NOCTURN was invited to collaborate with iID Dance Company and West Oxfordshire District Council as part of Creating with Care, a two-year temporary arts programme that organised regular creative interventions at Witney Community Hospital.
The project aims were to enhance the adult patient and carer experience through a variety of artistic activities usually not available in hospitals.
WHAT MAKES US SMILE?
KEN AND STEVE TALK ABOUT THEIR LOVE OF STEAM TRAINS.
PAT WANTS TO HOLD LOVED ONES CLOSE.
MARTIN TALKS ABOUT RESPECT AND KINDNESS.
NOCTURN combined several personal stories from hospital patients to create an engagingly beautiful dance film.
iID dance company and Oxford Health Arts Partnership as well as staff and patients at Witney Community Hospital wanted to find out what makes their patients smile?
The project was conceptualised pre-pandemic to co-create movements with patients through face-to-face discussions. Undaunted by lockdowns and social distancing, we found a new path.
Sarah Gilmartin of iID was able to have short informal chats encouraging her patients to open up and share their wonderful stories. The transcripts were then transformed into movement by John Darvell & Tom Davis Dunn during an intensive period of rehearsals which adhered to strict lockdown protocols. The performance was then filmed at the Donnington Grove hotel grounds.
INNOVATIVE FEATURES.
DANCE FOR CAMERA.
FOR US, FEELING INSPIRED TO MOVE AGAIN.
The pandemic had forced us all to be locked away so it was a privilege to have this rare chance for freedom and renewal as we created fresh new dances from Ken, Steve, Pat, Martin and others’ stories. Sharing their experiences made them smile, recreating them made us smile, and we hope this film will make you smile too.
‘Staff get to know their patients better & understand more of their life stories, which can lift spirits & sometimes help people make new friends.’Angela Conlan, Arts Coordinator for the programme
Visit IID's website for more information and to read the stories (www.iid.org.uk/smile-inside)
This project is part of iID's Smile Inside project funded by Arts Council England and West Oxfordshire District Council, supported by Oxford Health Charity through Creating with Care.
OUR CREATIVES.
DIRECTOR, CHOREOGRAPHER & PERFORMER | JOHN DARVELL
DANCED & PERFORMED BY TOM DAVIS DUNN
Insta | tomdavisdunn
VIDEOGRAPHER | PETER ANDERSON
www.andersonvideography.co.uk
LEAD ARTIST | SARAH GILMARTIN
www.iid.org.uk
