On the Move

February 2018:   On the road to Stockholm.  After setting up a 5 year participatory arts program for elderly people with                                                                                                                                                   dementia in Mackay, Sarina,Gladstone, Longreach and Winton in Queensland through his company Crossroad Arts,                                                                                                                                                                 Steve Mayer-Miller who stepped down from the company after 20 years is now on the move and has stepped up his workload                                                                                                                                                              to researching USA, Europe and Japan models and applying his findings to Australian settings.     Photo Marty Miller 

January 2019
Clare Apelt and Natalija Pearns from Lutheran Services travel up from Brisbane to join SMM in his studio at Shoal Point, to go over plans for the project Dementia Unravelled in Biloela

March 2019:
Steve speaking to members of Biloela Rotary Club about the latest developments in disability participatory arts strategies for people with dementia. His month long artists residency in Biloela begins in April supported by Lutheran Services, Dementia Aust and the Qld Govt .

 

February 2019
Steve leads a group of  Japanese
children in a fish dance during 
“Dandan tambo ni yoakashi kaeru. “ in Kobe Japan – a theatre and dance performance with people with disabilities

October 2018
Members of the Peer Advisory Committee
at the Australia Council in Sydney to review
community arts and development funding
applications.

February 2019
Giving a presentation on the topic of cross-cultural
co-creation in community arts in Osaka Japan
sponsored by Tanpopo no ye. 

Feb 2019
A public forum of artists following the production

At a Co-Creation Forum in Kobe Japan. My view is that the best                                                             co-creation occurs when the power is negotiated and shared                                                         between the professional and non professional participants                                                                and where consensus occurs when most people are convinced                                                                 of the merits of the decision made, not on what the artist instructs.

Feb 2019:
In Tokyo I met up with Dr Yoko Hyashi the CEO and Director of                                                               Arts Alive. The organisation works with elderly people with                                                          dementia and runs Timeslips in Art Galleries. Photo: Arts Alive

In Nagoya I made my second visit to the Gojikari Village in which                                                       a pre-school and day care centre are part of the Agedcare complex

On the Shinkansen on my way from Tokyo back to Osaka

Sharing business cards with Council delegates at the Gojikara                                                             Village for elderly people in Nagoya.

                    Dementia and the Arts

Speaking in Regional Queensland

Judy Mazer, Clare Apelt, Natalija Pearn and Steve Mayer-Miller talk to members of Biloela Probus on the benefits of using arts with people with dementia.

Talking to staff, families and residents at St Francis of Assisi Aged Care Home in Mackay on non-verbal communicating strategies with people with dementia.
Speaking at the Biloela Men’s Shed on the benefits of a whole of town approach in breaking down the stigmatisation of dementia and setting up support networks in the town.

Introducing Council Staff at the Biloela Art Gallery on the techniques of Timeslips for people with dementia

Training staff and management at Wahroonga Aged Care Centre on communication skills with people with dementia

The Reminisce Project

April to June 2019
Recreating Tallia’s story about her motorbike days by using a tableaux of ‘human bike parts’
Percussion Workshop on Saturday morning with Robyn and Patricia.
JUTE THEATRE

Documentary Film Projects

May- June 2019

SYNESTHESIA  by Mark Sheppard

LYCEUM HIGHWAY by Kate Adams

Contributing towards Mental Health Open till Late photographer Sue Mayer-Miller waits in the canefield in Homebush for the motorbike riders who are part of the Black Dog Motorcycle Rally. 

Elderly riders of the Black Dog Motorcycle Rally.