2020-04-21

The Forgotten Orchestra: Library as a 3rd Place For All

Forgotten Orchestra

Our society includes a variety of different target groups, this variety makes the world more colourful. The Library of Ostend has always been a safe haven for a variety of people. With an inclusive policy we strive to connect with different kinds of target groups. 

The city of Ostend invited the Library of Ostend to work out a project for people suffering from dementia. People with dementia are a rapidly increasing group in the city of Ostend. How can the Library of Ostend connect with these people and be at their service ? To get to know these people we invited them through different sessions, to connect with them and to share their stories. Music and music records created a comfortable atmosphere and triggered the participants to connect, trust and create. 'Forgotten Orchestra' is the result, a treasure of precious memories and hearthwarming stories. The project was a special journey for the participants but also for the library staff.  An experience outside our comfortzone, where we had to expand our bounderies and let go of control. Giving trust to receive trust.  The artistic results of the project were fantastic stories that are added to the story collection of the city of Ostend.

‘Forgotten Orchestrat’ teaches us that a public library can be a warm inclusive place, also tailored to people suffering from dementia and their caregivers. People with dementia want to participate in all aspects of life, including arts and culture. Therefore, we need to invest more in an inclusive policy in culture and art. Today, people suffering from dementia still face too many obstacles to participate in cultural life.

The project of 'The Forgotten Orchestra' was a very powerful example of “workplace learning”. Through dialogue, starting from music and music records, we could replace our stereotype thinking about people suffering from dementia, by more varicoloured images. This influenced our attitude towards people with dementia inside the library and in society. 

“Dementia is more serious when a society can not deal with it.” This project proves that a society can mean something for the well-being and quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers.

we like to share the stories on the online platform www.oostendevertelt.com

 

 


I improve, for a better audience service for people with dementia in the library of Ostend


Gallery: Forgotten Orchestra @Ostend Library

Images from the project "Forgotten Orchestra", presented for librarians of Flandern as new methodology 12th February 2020