Workshop Descriptions
Natalie Stringer
8/25/2026
Dementia Live is an immersive, high-impact simulation that helps care teams experience the sensory and cognitive challenges faced by people living with dementia. By mimicking symptoms such as tunnel vision, impaired processing, and altered touch, caregivers develop deeper empathy – and ultimately, provide more compassionate, person-centered care.
Dementia Live® is a powerful, research-informed training that:
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Builds empathy by helping participants understand what it’s like to live with dementia
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Leads to more respectful, person-centered care
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Empowers your organization to become a beacon of support in the dementia care community
Workshop details: 1-hour; 4 people maximum at a time; requires a room that can be closed to the public.
Dementia Design Snapshot
A brief and concise presentation on design considerations in spaces that serve people with dementia diagnoses. Dementia design is a recognised non-pharmacological intervention to support someone with a dementia diagnosis. Research has demonstrated that it can improve quality of life for the person with a dementia diagnosis and their care partner, reduce negative responsive presentations, and support abilities for longer (Dementia Services Development Centre, UK).
Community & Collaboration
Inspired by Social Impact Strategy coursework from UPENN, in part designed by Dr. Rosario Jackson, former chair of the NEA. Key workshop topics include:
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Identifying Community & Your Role In It
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Frameworks for Evaluating Alliances
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Community-Oriented, Partnership-Based Venture Strategic Recommendations
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Confronting and Accounting for Pre-Conceived Notions: “Check your Baggage!”
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Identifying & Bridging a gap of understanding about a Community
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Asset-Mapping
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Real-world collaboration examples including The Music Center: Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles and The Cossitt Library (Memphis Public Libraries)
Workshop can include small-group, partnered, or solo activities, and take-away assignment templates.
Theatre of the Oppressed
Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) is a participatory theater mode that fosters democratic and cooperative forms of interaction among participants. TO invites people to become “spect-actors,” capable of taking action and using theater as a rehearsal space for social transformation. This workshop employs a variety of processes based on Theatre of the Oppressed, developed by world-renowned theatre-maker, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Augusto Boal, to define issues, clarify objectives, build skills, and rehearse practical action.
Workshop can be modified for 1-hour, 2-hour, and 3-hour durations. Open to all, actors and non-actors.
Performing with and for Older Adults: Social Connection, Memory, NeuroArts
Learn more about the benefits of performing with and for older adults. Participants will receive a general overview of the emerging NeuroArts field, and learn about growing opportunities to partner with organizations that are centering music, visual art, and participatory performing arts in therapeutic settings. The workshop will include embodied, sensory exercises, and takeaway resources for further exploration.
NeuroArts Snapshot: A shorter version of the above presentation
A brief and concise presentation on the basics of the NeuroArts field, including snapshots of key players Susan Magsamen (Impact Thinking Model, Johns Hopkins Arts + Mind Lab), Ivy Ross (Google, Milan Design Week), Anjan Chatterjee (Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics), and Daisy Fancourt (University College London, “Art Cure”).