Deeds launch ‘My Perfect Day – Our Perfect Day’ Exhibition at Derry's Millennium Forum

Derry charity DEEDS launched their ‘My Perfect Day – Our Perfect Day’ exhibition on Wednesday afternoon at the Millennium Forum where it will run until Friday, 5th July at the city’s entertainment centre.

DEEDS is a flagship project based in the Old Library Trust, Creggan keeping people with dementia well for longer in their own community across the city and district.

IN PICTURES: DEEDS launch ‘My Perfect Day – Our Perfect Day’ Exhibition

Wednesday’s launch saw the city’s Mayor, Lillian Seenoi-Barr address the attendance and she wished the group continued success in the future while also praising the standard of the art work on display.

The project is a culmination of art and creativity from DEEDS members and six local primary schools who they’ve teamed up to work together including the  Old Library Trust with Holy Child PS Creggan; Shantallow Community Centre with St Patrick’s PS Pennyburn; Caw/Nelson Drive Action Group with  Ebrington Nursery and Primary school; Hillcrest Trust with Sacred Heart PS, Trench Road ; Strabane and District Caring Services with St Catherine’s PS; and Learmount Community Development Group with St Mary’s PS, Altinure.  

DEEDS has conducted intergenerational work for over 10 years now, when members fed back to staff that they no longer had intergenerational contact as their own children and grandchildren had grown up.

The addition of their dementia diagnosis had lessened the chance for other intergenerational opportunities. 

Speaking at Wednesday’s launch, DEEDS Co-Ordinator Sinead Devine said: “Our members’ eyes light up during intergenerational work. Working with children and young people lightens the mood and is uplifting. For children, the benefits are building relationships between the generations, developing respect for age, and learning about dementia, which develops empathy, and understanding. 

"The aim of the project is to provide a high-quality artistic experience to DEEDS members and Primary 7 children from the local schools involved, beginning with a dementia awareness workshop to help prepare the children."

Eilish Brown, the DEEDS Training Officer added: "The empathy and understanding built upon is carried through to their own families out in the community, helping contribute to a dementia friendly city and district. All this connection is done in a fun but constructive child-friendly way."

The project ran over a series of three stages.

(1) ‘Mini Me’ Banners:- The children worked with artists: Sinéad Crumlish, Caroline Devenny and Rachel Doherty to create a banner of themselves. The children then helped the members to create their own Mini Me Banner. The banners were swapped and hung in each centre and school acting as a reminder of their first intergenerational meet up.

(2) ‘My Perfect Day’:- The children and members then worked with the artists and principal artist/photographer Emmett McSheffrey to create collages and images of what they considered to be their perfect day. These have been captured by Emmett and are on show in the large-scale montages for the exhibition. 

Pupils from Holy Child PS and St. Patrick's PS, Pennyburn pictured with the Mayor, Lillian Seenoi-Barr at Wednesday's DEEDS event in the Millennium Forum. Included are Lisa Heaney, Millennium Forum, Sabrina Lynch, OLT, George McGowan, OLT and Sinead Devine, DEEDS Co-Ordinator, Old Library Trust.

 (3) ‘Our Perfect Day’:- The project culminated with another intergenerational meet up were the children used a collaborative approach and voting system to create their vision of what a collective Perfect Day could be, created by Emmett as an AI image with a style chosen to suit everyone.  Where they able to decide? What did the children and members vote in the end?   Come and view the exhibition in the Millennium Forum and find out.

The project was funded by LFT Charitable Trust and supported by the Lottery Community Fund, Strabane Library, and the Millennium Forum within Derry City and Strabane District Council.  

For further information on DEEDS contact staff on 028 71373870.