Music & Arts
Music and the arts play an important and powerful part in all our lives. Whether it be through music, movement, storytelling, singing, drama, reading or writing poetry, Brook View offers each resident the opportunity to explore the many ways in which music and creative arts can enrich their wellbeing.
Music Brings Joy, Identity & Connection
Music has a positive effect on our wellbeing, stimulating our emotions and increasing our motivation.
It’s a shared language that enables us to appreciate and enjoy music together, and because it’s non-verbal, it’s accessible to everyone.
Our home encourages residents to share their musical preferences to help us maintain their identity and connection to their life events. We aim to create different, personal and meaningful musical experiences for each resident.
Brook View’s Beer Bottle Orchestra
Experience the enchanting melodies of the “Brook View’s Beer Bottle Orchestra”!
Led by Jo, our talented Companionship Team member on the Flute, and conducted by Fiona, our Dedicated Music & Arts Partner, this unique ensemble showcases the harmonious beauty of beer bottle instruments. Their rendition of “Blue Danube” will captivate your senses.
Click below to watch their wonderful performance.
Enjoyed In Group Sessions & One-To-Ones
Our group music sessions are a wonderful way for residents to feel engaged and be involved in a variety of ways. Making music and singing together promotes feelings of inclusion and belonging, increasing socialisation and self- confidence.
Sessions are accessible to everyone and residents are invited to take part and respond in their own way, from passive listening or subtle tapping of fingers or feet, to active participation with bold risk taking by playing a large drum or spontaneous dancing.
Using different instruments and props we can create music and movements that reflect the rhythm, texture, timbre and style of the music.
Residents can also enjoy a live music performance as a group or on a one-to-one basis as many of our Companionship Teams members are skilled and confident musicians.
“The whole room was involved in Fiona’s class and everyone was obviously enjoying themselves. Everyone could join in!” – Ruth, visitor to a Colten Care home
Support From Our Dedicated Music & Arts Partner
Our home is lucky to have access to Colten Care’s dedicated Music & Arts Partner, Fiona Pritchard, who inspires and leads the development of music and creative arts activities and interventions in all our homes, ensuring this is central to the social wellbeing of everyone in our care.
Fiona is a professional musician who trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has a wealth of experience as both teacher and performer and is an accomplished composer and songwriter.
Fiona also gained an MSc in Dementia Studies with Arts and Activities from Bradford University and uses this increased understanding of dementia to influence and guide her work in our 21 homes.
Her training and experience means she can offer focussed one to one sessions with an informed person-centred approach, providing additional support for residents, their families and our teams.
She showcases creativity in our homes at conferences and in journal publications and creates links with local communities, working in partnership with our home teams to engage with arts organisations nationwide.
A key part of her role is stimulating residents’ creativity and imagination through singing, playing music, drama, poetry, storytelling, dance and listening. She is also active in coordinating regular opportunities for residents, relatives and people in the community to engage in activities together.
Inviting The Best Local Performers To Entertain Us
In addition to the support and engagement provided by Fiona, we regularly invite performers into the home to delight our residents.
Our home’s Companionship Team is well connected with popular local performers, including the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. They regularly organise scheduled visits by musicians and entertainers who are used to performing for people living in a care home setting.
We maintain a central database of professionals that helps us ensure each team has access to the most enjoyable and popular performers. We listen to the feedback from residents to make sure their favourite artists return regularly!
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso
Art
Art and painting encourage creativity and self-expression that supports emotional wellbeing. Art can stimulate memories, improve focus and concentration, relieve stress and encourages communication. We understand how important this is to our residents, and make sure that regular opportunities for drawing and painting are included in our activity schedule. We invite local artists into our homes to share their skills and advise residents, encouraging supporting them to express themselves through art.
Arts & Crafts
Arts and crafts brings people together, and enables us to experience feelings of community and belonging through the social interaction, reminiscence and memories that accompany a shared making environment. Pottery, knitting, crocheting and crafting are just some of the activities residents enjoy throughout the year, often focussing on seasonal and religious holidays.
Music is life itself
Enjoy a selection of snaps of music lifting souls across the Colten Care family of care homes.
See if you can spot the residents and Companions of Brook View!
Roy tinkling the ivories
Singing and dancing in the sun at our Hawaiian BBQ
Gerry with Andrew and Eileen from Sax To Relax
In the mood for dancing with Mary
Muriel enjoying singing along with Companion team member, Sam
Noreen having fun with exercise ball drumming
Yvonne enjoying a painting activity in the Canopy Café
‘Messy Art’ session in the St Thomas lounge
Working on a paper mache project for the Colten Produce Show
Keep Exploring
Nutritious Mealtimes
Food and drink are critical to our well-being in so many ways. Our chef will provide a diet that is not only full of choice, but is also wholesome, nutritious, well-balanced and right for our residents.
Hobbies & Interests
We understand that staying physically and mentally active can have a profound effect on our wellbeing. Our home has a dedicated Companionship Team whose role within the home is to plan, organise and deliver an exciting and engaging programme of activities specifically tailored to the wishes of residents be that in large groups, small groups or simply one on one time.
Minibus Trips
Our home has regular access to one of our four modern and well-equipped minibuses. The professional drivers liaise with the Companionship Team and residents to understand their preferences and provide access through half-day or full-day trips, getting out and about to enjoy the local sights, often taking packed-lunches, snacks, hot coffee and tea.
Your Garden
Many of our residents have enjoyed a love of gardens and gardening throughout their lives. To ensure this passion continues, we strive to make our outdoor living spaces accessible, interactive and stimulating and encourage residents to take a keen interest in the gardens.
Housekeeping & Maintenance
We take care of the daily housekeeping and maintenance responsibilities so our residents don’t have to. Feeling warm and safe in our homes and having peace of mind are just two of the benefits our residents enjoy from the personally tailored care we provide.
We’re Here For You
Whether you’d like an initial chat about the care we provide, you have a question about our all-inclusive fees, or you’d like more information about our beautiful home, we’re here to help.