Etching to go! Eye care home residents take part in worldwide art festival

Residents at a care home in Eye picked up their pencils and went back to the drawing board for The Big Draw Festival 2021.

Residents and team members at Care UK’s Hartismere Place, on Castleton Way, have partnered with pioneering charity, The Big Draw, for a third successful year to promote the therapeutic benefits of drawing for expression and promoting positive wellbeing. 

As part of their event, residents and team members created works of art around the theme of autumnal nature. The activity was particularly special for former artist, Cynthia, who has previously had her artwork displayed at exhibitions at the Eye Art Guild, Ipswich Art Society and The Cut Art Centre in Halesworth. 

Cynthia said: “I have always loved art, but didn’t seriously start drawing and painting until just before I retired. I really enjoyed the drawing activity, and flexing my artistic muscles again. I regularly attend the Hartismere Place art club sessions, where I enjoy the creativity and the companionship.”

Launched in 2000 as part of the ‘Campaign for Drawing’, the month-long Big Draw Festival promotes drawing as a tool for learning, and invention, and has encouraged over four million people to get arty since its inception. ‘Make the Change’, this year’s theme, focuses on the relationship between people and their living environments, and offers a great opportunity for older people to reminisce about their favourite nature spots, how the environment has changed, and look to the future at what action can be taken to help safeguard the natural world in light of the climate crisis. 

Marie Reeve, Home Manager at Hartismere Place, added: “It was wonderful to take part in The Big Draw for the third year – the residents were quick off the draw to get involved and put their drawing skills to the test. 

“Creative activities play a big part of life here at Hartismere Place, and we actively encourage residents to continue lifelong arty hobbies and try new expressive pastimes through imaginative and creative activities planned by our lifestyle team. Drawing has a variety of benefits for older people, especially those living with dementia, as it provides an alternative way to communicate and express emotions, and an opportunity to relive happy memories.

“We certainly have some talented artists here at Hartismere Place, and we can’t wait to display our works of art around the home.”

After a successful participation in the Big Draw Festival in the past two years, Care UK renewed its partnership in 2021 as the main health and social care partner and leading the way in changing perceptions of life in a care home by promoting activity-based care and encouraging other care homes to follow suit. Across the country, Care UK homes have been getting creative and working with their local communities virtually to create works of art around the theme ‘Make the Change’. 

Hartismere Place has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, residential dementia, as well as short term respite care.

To find out more about Hartismere Place, please contact Customer Relations Manager, Angela Hodge, on 01379 888276, or angela.hodge@careuk.com.

For more general information visit careuk.com/hartismere-place.