Being in the Space Between: Movement, Improvisation and Connection
Parallel 1
17 November, 2026 12:00 – 1:10 pmMini Presentations Group 1
Shelley is an Arts Producer and writer with over twenty years’ experience. She is passionate about the transformative power of creative practice for those living with dementia and their carers.
Previously she worked as the Senior Producer/Artistic Associate at Battersea Arts Centre for over fifteen years. She has also worked for National Theatre Studio, LIFT festival and Age UK. Shelley first joined Resonate Arts in 2019 as a volunteer Creative Befriender.
Shelley currently leads on the Singing with Friends choir in partnership with Wigmore Hall Learning. She has also developed and grown two highly popular Creative Space groups; one visual art based and the other movement & dance based.
Summary
Resonate Arts’ Creative Movement group offers a person-centred, artist-led space for people living with dementia and people without a diagnosis of dementia but who may be at high risk of developing dementia to explore movement as a shared language for connection, communication and expression. Rooted in improvisation, deep listening and emotional safety, sessions prioritise presence over performance, enabling participants to engage in ways that feel right for them on any given day.
This presentation will share our approach to facilitating inclusive movement practice, including the use of gentle check-ins, embodied exploration, and responsive facilitation shaped by participants’ needs, creativity and lived experience. We will highlight how this work builds confidence, agency and community, supporting participants to connect with themselves and others beyond words.
We will screen GOLDEN, a short film recently created collaboratively with the group, capturing moments of play, trust and shared attention that reveal the power of non-verbal connection in dementia care.



