Belonging/Perthyn - A collection of responses health and social care professionals (2016 & 2018) :
“Really enjoyed this as my 'training'. My manager is keen to find out if it could be run again as a training session for a team of 60? Sure we could get the other teams involved too to make more numbers. Where is the next performance? What is the schedule over the coming months?” Audience Member, Bangor
“I saw the first performance on Thursday afternoon, and whilst I managed to hold it together (just) I was completely overwhelmed by how powerful and moving the play was. I would and have recommend this to so many on many many levels, it was such an inspired way of learning and understanding. You were able to look at it from the perspective of the dementia sufferer, their carers, family, neighbors, community and care worker, absolutely inspiring. I was totally wrapped up in the performance and it would be a very valuable learning tool for many many more of our staff and commissioned services. PS – It also helped with my Welsh learning!” Carers Strategy Coordinator, Swansea
“The best training I have experienced. Never been to a play before and I loved it. Excellent” Audience Member, Adult Services, Cardiff
“As a student social worker I would like to thank you for teaching me so much about dementia. I've written 1000s of words on dementia, speech dysphasia, and systems theory, but today you put it all into perspective. I believe i will be a stronger, better practitioner from watching your show. So, thank you” Student Social Worker, Swansea
“Last week I saw a performance of Belonging/Perthyn,by Re-Live. It is a very moving piece of theatre about the experience of dementia, both for those with the disease and their families, and I can highly recommend this to all staff at BCUHB” Andrew Davies, Chair ofABM University Health Board
“Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed last night's performance at Pontio. Both my wife and I have been working in the field of dementia care for around 40 years – my wife commented that Llion's portrayal of a person living with dementia was one of the best she had seen. I thought you struck a great balance between showing the impact on family carers and the efforts of people with dementia to cope and manage their situation in their own way – the play was full of insights on relationships and on the person's own awareness of their condition. There was humour and above all there was hope – not for a cure, but hope of finding meaning and closeness and human strength in the face of adversity. Congratulations to you and the entire team.” Professor Bob Woods, Director of DSDC Wales(Bangor)
“I thought the whole thing was brilliant, really gripping. I had tears many times throughout the play. It was such a good learning experience to learn from real life experiences played out. I think more training like this would be beneficial you just seem to learn so much more than from a power point presentation. They were all really good and the older man's portrayal of an elderly gentleman with dementia was spot on and brilliant” Welfare Assistant, Adult Services Community Resource Team, Swansea
“Just got home from watching Belonging - a brilliant, poignant, sad, yet funny play about dementia - highly recommend” Dementia Services, Swansea on Twitter
“Excellent performance. The actors were really in tune with the difficulties and mixed emotions that families experience during the journey of dementia. I thought it was good that they portrayed how somebody can revert back to their first language and also how stimulation of past experiences (planting & soil) etc can be motivating . Its important to realise that a person with Dementia may not be able to communicate verbally but still has emotion and how a smell or a feeling can bring back that emotion. It demonstrated the difficulties as a carer, wife, son daughter etc. And the hard decisions faced when deciding long term care. A powerful form of training” Social Worker, Adult Services, Pembrokeshire
“Belonging provides a really good way to get people to think about dementia and their practice, so I'm not surprised that lots of people are considering commissioning it as part of their dementia training strategy” Quality Assurance Officer, Joint Commissioning Team, Swansea
“I saw Belonging last night in Chapter and found it amazingly emotive. I have worked with people living with dementia for approx 25 yrs in a number of capacities; memory teams in Bath and Cardiff, managing a nursing home and acute hospital work. The messages you gave last night were so in tune with my beliefs, that we need to move into the person’s world and be in the moment. Belonging is a wonderful approach that can be used for training. As a dementia nurse, I try to teach empathy but Belonging does it beautifully” Jane Mullins (RGN, Bn, PGCASR) Dementia Nurse Consultant
“I felt that the play was exceptionally informative and inspiring. Belonging provides an outstanding platform to present a very powerful insight into the dementia condition. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance which affected both ends of the emotional spectrum ranging from laugh out loud moments to the inducement of tears” Care Coordinator, Adult Services
“In 40 years of nursing, I've never seen anything like Belonging. I hope all my colleagues can watch it and gain insight into dementia” Nurse, Milford Haven
“Went to see Belonging. It was amazing. I work in care, have done for over 11 years and all the training I've been on has nothing on what I took away with me yesterday. I recommend every one who cares for people with dementia needs to see this!” Care worker, Facebook
“I am still thinking about all the little undercurrents that we ignore because we are too busy dealing with the big picture etc. I will stop and look more often from now on, whatever job I think is more important, actually isn't and it will support me to redirect my energy to what matters to the person with dementia” Registered Residential Care Home Manager
“I was truly overwhelmed by Belonging/Perthyn and sincerely report that the production is undoubtedly the best training I have attended; I am confident that the experience will stay with me always” Assessor Care Coordinator, Adult Services, Pembrokeshire
“Amazing, educational, heartwarming, made me laugh and cry. I will never forget this play and recommend all my fellow carers to see it. A very good in site into dementia and how it effects familys and care staff” Care Worker, Cardiff
“I saw your play Belonging at the Torch Theatre and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. As a nurse I have looked after many people living with dementia and I felt that you got the subject absolutely spot on. I laughed, I cried, I found it very poignant. I wouldn't have missed it for the world” Nurse
“I was impressed by the content of the Q&A session after the performance, which for many who shared experiences, was hugely informative and equally emotional” Assessor Care Coordinator, Adult Services, Pembrokeshire
“I attended the afternoon performance of belonging yesterday and just wanted to say it was an excellent performance, very emotional. I have had three family members who have had dementia so it is a subject close to my heart and it was an excellent portrayal of how it effects the family, I could follow and recognise and relate to each stage of the process as the story unfolded. It gave greater insight also into how it effects the individual with dementia, although I recognised the behaviours and understood they were a part of the illness it made me think more about how it impacted on the person and how they would feel in that situation. It was very powerful” Anonymous, written evaluation
“I went to a Dementia Champions training session today. Lots of the health professionals said how accurately Belonging by Re-Live portrays life with dementia. They were saying it's a must see!. Literally every time we had a break someone would say have you seen this play Belonging!”Guy O’Donnell, Sherman 5
“If you are touring to North Wales again or if there is the possibility of arranging something please let me know as we have many staff in our 5 extra care schemes who would benefit so much from this” Care Manager, Pennaf Housing Group, St Asaph