Identifying and understanding the notion of quality within an applied theatre project designed to playfully engage people living with dementia

Abstract

This chapter examines notions of quality and quality of life (QoL) as they relate to applied theatre work conducted in dementia care contexts. It draws upon a framework created by researchers from the health sector to analyse and thus better understand data collected within a research project entitled Playful Engagement. The chapter draws upon six concepts to support the examination of a series of vignettes developed in response to data collected across three visits between Heather and the applied theatre artists. In developing the notion of “quality moments of life”, the chapter takes the lead from nursing professionals like Pringle (2003) who has argued that when working with people living with dementia, emphasis should be placed on “improving the quality of the moment”.