The Photobook Project: Meaningful engagement of under-represented groups

The Photobook Project emphasises innovative and creative approaches to inclusive dementia care, aiming to engage participants in meaningful and imaginative ways.

Nusaibah Hasan, a researcher on the EMPOWER Network interviewed Ellie Robinson-Carter, one of our community partners who heads the Photobook Project. Read on to find out more about Ellie’s work.

Activities the organisation does that represents best practice in inclusive dementia care

· We offer people with dementia, their carers and wider communities the opportunity to take part in their own creative documentation. Celebrating their unique stories and experiences.

· The project doesn’t rely on using texts or words, and instead focuses on the universal language of images, incorporating single-use cameras as an accessible method for engagement. Our project is inclusive of people who speak any language.

· The project emphasises innovative and creative approaches to inclusive dementia care, including intergenerational collaborations and the use of dementia dogs, aiming to engage participants in meaningful and imaginative ways. One example is the Sense of Place project, developed with Callington Community College in Cornwall and the Sensory Trust, which involved photography and nature walks to encourage expression.

· Activities are framed in accessible language to avoid labels that might discourage participation. For example, not referring to sessions as “art” to help participants feel more comfortable. Sessions often involve hands-on, creative activities like flower pressing, cyanotypes (traditional printing process), map drawing, or nature-based crafts, all designed to support memory and identity. Participants choose their own creative themes, which shape the content of the sessions and outputs. These projects often result in physical items like photobooks and textured booklets, helping participants connect with their work in a tangible way.

· Efforts are made to tailor tasks to individuals’ backgrounds, for example, involving a former architect in exhibition planning, which ensures personal relevance and recognition.

· Activities are intentionally simple yet dignified, allowing for meaningful engagement without feeling childish or overwhelming. Creating space for conversation and connection alongside creativity.

Why are these activities important for good practice and inclusive dementia care for the local community?

· It is so important that we foster opportunities for all people with dementia to share their stories and that this process is empowering and enjoyable. So often we hear about the person with dementia’s experience via proxy, rather from their own perspective, but our work is focused on giving people their own tools to share their insights.

· This highlights that inclusive dementia care helps individuals feel part of something meaningful, especially after a diagnosis, which can often lead to a loss of confidence and sense of identity. Activities like community walks and photography help rebuild confidence, maintain connections to familiar places and encourage exploration of new ones.

· The use of photobooks offers a tangible way for people to reflect on and revisit their experiences, reinforcing a sense of possibility and engagement.

· Our Intergenerational involvement is also seen as vital, as it bridges age gaps, fosters new relationships and creates organic, lasting connections that strengthen community ties.

What impact does your work have on people living with dementia and amplifying lived expert voices?

We give people evidence of living well with dementia, giving them belief and an example of what is possible.

· We see people go on to do more in their community after taking part in our project, for example, setting up their own groups, seeking out other groups they can attend and participating in research.

· Our recent intergenerational project in Saltash, Cornwall brought together a local youth group and a memory café for four sessions themed around games. Activities included board games, bingo and a joint exhibition, with a cream tea celebration attended by the mayor.

o One participant, Noah, who had recently lost his wife and moved to the area, shared how much he enjoyed the sessions and expressed his wish to return.

· As a result of the project, the memory café and youth group plan to continue meeting quarterly, highlighting the lasting social impact, stronger community ties and meaningful intergenerational connections the work fosters for people affected by dementia.

What key factors have made your work and organisation successful?

· Always co-producing with people with dementia and never making decisions without them.

Any national expansion projects the organisation is planning to do on inclusive best practices in dementia care and future goals?

· Not at present but would be very interested in doing so.

Future goals:

· It feels like a refreshing new approach to dementia research and practice. I hope it will demonstrate different models of practice that highlight what is possible, reflecting the importance and power of collaboration across the sector.

· Always having people with lived experience at the centre.

Outputs:

Click here to go to the Photobook Project’s website.

Click here to view Ronald Amanze’s short film, ‘A Portrait of a Pirate’. Ronald is a poet and a lived expert working on the Photobook Project and as part of the EMPOWER Dementia Network+.

Click here to view the Photobook Project’s film about the importance of doing intergenerational work.