Møter gjennom mønster i filt. Narrativ og poetisk dokumentasjon som utgangspunkt for og pådriver i kunstdidaktisk praksis i en helsekontekst

Working from the perspective of art didactics, this research project aims to examine how a relational and socially engaged art practice can be developed which would improve the care and management of elderly patients who are suffering from dementia. The research is conducted in two institutions, both of which are dedicated facilities for the care of elderly dementia sufferers. The project examines how narrative and poetic documentation influences didactic choices in a process-oriented practice. The study interprets the term ‘art-practice’ as being a catalyst for communication between the artist, the patient and the caregiver. The term ‘poetic documentation’ is a central didactic component which enables applied art qualities such as affective encounters through different material; the integration of lived experience and the participants’ life possibilities to be understood from a unified perspective. The strategies for documenting the artistic process will examine ethical issues concerning the obtaining of consent from participants with a reduced intellectual capacity. The methods applied in the research process are arts-informed enquiry and practice-led research using visual methods. The article argues for the development of more comprehensive theoretical perspectives on the problems encountered. Strategies developed in the course of the study will be communicated through workshops for healthcare workers and students, which will focus on the need for cooperation between the healthcare institutions involved, the researcher and the artist.