Being in the Space Between: Movement, Improvisation and Connection

Parallel 1

17 November, 2026 12:00 – 1:10 pm

Mini Presentations Group 1

Shelley Hastings

 Projects Manager 

 Resonate Arts 

About

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.

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