Royal Albert & Memorial Museum & Art Gallery

Ram Museum is working to become more dementia-friendly, both for the general public and in its services for targeted groups. Museums offer a safe, fun and yet stimulating place for people at all stages of life. Objects can spark memories and conversations which reinforce the personal identity of people with dementia for themselves and those around them. RAMM’s Living Each Season offers a combination of object-handling sessions, creative activities and gallery tours inspired by groudbreaking methodology from the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.

Current and former servicemen and women – some with histories of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – found parallels between their own military experiences and Native American warrior societies. The group responded in words and art to “Warriors of the Plains”, a British Museum exhibition about honour and ritual in 19th-century North America. A digital display reflecting the views of West Country warriors of today was displayed in the exhibition, alongside the art inspired by the project, Once a Warrior. Compiled from individual interviews and the group’s artwork in 2012, the digital film is also online, including responses from the public. Once a Warrior served as a bridge for better understanding of the personal codes that have guided combat across centuries, continents and cultures.