Arts for Dementia wants everyone affected by early stage dementia to find, enjoy and benefit from creative activities. This rebrand reflects that vision, emphasising possibilities, recognising the agency individuals maintain after a diagnosis, and it aims to be welcoming and accessible to everyone. Their previous brand and website were dated, not very accessible, and didn’t reflect the work and ethos of the charity. One recent participant at their training even said ‘I wasn’t sure what to expect, having seen your website, but today has been great.’ Arts for Dementia were keen to leave behind such low expectations and instead help people to understand that they are an engaging and uplifting team delivering inspiring activities, and that they understand how dementia can affect people. They worked in partnership with Never Dull Studio, supported by a working group that included people affected by dementia, to develop a brand and website that can help them deliver their ambitious strategy and also champions the voices of those affected by dementia.
London Arts and Health’s most recent Creative Health Sandpit explored the process of co-design that Never Dull Studio played in redesigning Arts for Dementia’s website, and how they worked with people affected by dementia to build something authentic and responsive to participant needs.
You can watch the whole recording back here:
About the Speakers
Penny Fosten: Penny Fosten joined Arts for Dementia in 2022 with more than 15 years’ experience in charity management across creative health, mental health and environmentalism. She now leads the charity, working with Trustees and the staff team to deliver their vision. Outside of work she loves reading novels and poetry, and recently joined a community choir.
Lori Hayden: Lori has been involved with Arts for Dementia since 2014 when her husband John was diagnosed with PCA dementia. Lori and John took part in a variety of programmes run by Arts for Dementia and in 2016 Lori became a Trustee. Lori is now an advisor to Arts for Dementia and worked alongside the team on the rebranding and new website. Lori’s background is Corporate Identity and all the aspects of developing a brand. She is American but has lived and worked in London for the past 30 years. She now works not only with Arts for Dementia but with other organisations supporting people affected by dementia.
Ben Mottershead: Ben is the founder of Never Dull Studio, an independent creative agency passionate about helping ambitious brands to see audiences as people, not profit margins. Their stand-out creative thinking, combined with boutique studio craft builds stronger relationships through a connect-first, sell-second approach. Alongside his day-to-day of Never Dull Studio, he also lectures at the University of Hertfordshire on the BA Graphic Design & Illustration Course, acts as an industry consultant for multiple organisations, and sits on the advisory board for the disabled creatives initiative. Due to his own ADHD, Ben also spends much of his time advocating for greater access for people living with disabilities, and promoting the importance of accessible design systems for companies operating in today’s world.
