Ground-breaking play focusing on dementia carers gets green light to tour

Arts Council England has awarded Lakeside Arts Centre £186,893 to tour Inside out of Mind nationally to the widest possible audience of health care workers and the public. The Government estimates that 670,000 people nationwide have dementia today, and the Alzheimer's Society estimate that more than one million people will have dementia by 2021. Tanya Myer's insightful play, Inside out of Mind,is uniquely focused on those who care for people with dementia and has already had a profound impact on NHS health care workers in the East Midlands as well as on those caring for family members or friends. Inside out of Mind is rooted in academic research conducted on dementia care wards in the East Midlands and was commissioned by the Managed Innovation Network — a partnership involving Meeting Ground Theatre Company, Nottingham Lakeside Arts and NHS professionals and initiated by Professor Justine Schneider of the Institute of Mental Health at The University of Nottingham. The play premiered at Lakeside Arts Centre, University of Nottingham in June 2013 where it was seen by 2,200 people including 1,000 NHS professionals. A national tour Shona Powell, Director of Lakeside Arts Centre, said: "Lakeside is thrilled that following a hugely successful premiere at Lakeside in 2013, we're able to take this production on national tour, to reach thousands of new audience members and to make a real and lasting impact in the care sector" Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England, said: "Arts and culture can have great benefits for people's health and wellbeing.