Theatre students at UNI joined forces with the gerontology department to create meaningful connections with community members living with dementia. The project, a partnership among UNI students, Western Home Communities and Fortepan IA – is captured in a documentary called “Timeless Journeys,” and will be featured as part of the upcoming TEDx University of Northern Iowa.

Using historical images from Fortepan IA, a community photo archive based at UNI,  TheatreUNI students collaborated with residents of Windhaven and Thalman Square Assisted Living Facilities to create short performances inspired by real stories of community members living with dementia. This innovative approach to health care, known as creative care, uses the arts to engage patients, spark memories and encourage self-expression.

The “Timeless Journeys” film takes viewers through the project from concept to final performance.

In spring 2024, TheatreUNI students enrolled in a new course created by Professor Emeritus Gretta Berghammer, former head of the theatre department. Berghammer had heard from caretakers that residents in assisted living were missing fun.

“This is my wheelhouse - finding ways to have fun that doesn’t necessarily use language,” Berghammer said. 

After some research, Berghammer came across an organization that specializes in creative care, including building stories from visual images. Inspired, Berghammer started imagining what it could look like at UNI. 

Once the foundation was laid, UNI theatre professor Matthew Weedman became the instructor for the newfound project, which brought with it an opportunity: “We realized we could build partnerships outside of those walls — with the gerontology department and with organizations like the Western Home Community,” Weedman said. 

For many theatre students, the idea of working with dementia patients was at first intimidating. 

“I started with the perspective that most of society has, which is to not think about it as much as possible,” said student Peyton Robbins. “A lot of us had the same experience of feeling a little trepidation and a little fear because we weren’t super experienced with dementia as a whole and working with people with dementia.”

To build understanding, students partnered with UNI’s gerontology program and experienced its Dementia Simulation House before working directly with patients. 

“We learned a lot about what dementia actually is and its gradients,” Robbins said. “It is a progressive disease, so people can exist on a spectrum with how they are at a given time.” 

The simulation house gave students perspective. “I now know it can be very anxious for someone living with this,” said Lauren Steelman, another UNI theatre student. 

Once students felt more comfortable and educated on the topic, they started working with the dementia patients, using historical photos from Fortepan IA to spark memories and stories. 

“The stories they’re coming up with are usually very fun and joyful,” said student Hannah O’Connell. “There are just very profound things that you get along the way.” In this project, O’Connell aimed to amplify their voices and make the residents feel heard — something those living with dementia can have trouble achieving. 

After months of collaboration, the students created performances based on the residents’ stories. Their first private performance was held for Western Home residents.

One highlight showcased in the film is a song Steelman wrote for a resident who often spoke about her late husband. “On our last day at the homes, she told all of us that this project made her feel closer to her husband,” Steelman said. “I wanted to pay tribute to not only her husband, but both of them in telling their story.”

Weedman describes this reciprocal exchange, “It’s not just an academic exercise, and it’s not just about some esoteric goal of learning,” he said. “We’re doing something that impacts our lives, and we’re directly watching the impact on the lives of others. It feels like this exponential growth of experience, knowledge, wisdom, happiness, joy, storytelling and creativity. It’s rare to experience that, and I wish everyone could.” 

Watch the Timeless Journeys documentary on the UNI YouTube channel.