A few photos from the Parlour of Wonder opening at Blaise Weston yesterday. This was a fantastic event to celebrate the opening of the ‘Memory Parlour’ at Blaise Weston Court. We are currently developing this idea and calling it a ‘Parlour of Wonder’.

Community engagement is increasingly recognised by the care sector and social care commissioners as vital in tackling issues of social isolation in our older populations living in care. Together with Alive! and our partners in care settings we want to co-design engaging community spaces (parlours) where older people can interact with evocative objects and the StoryCreator app and our other prototypes to record and share their memories and life histories. This will involve imagining and creating a new space of discovery, connection, meaning making and mystery, rather like the ‘cabinets of curiosity’ or ‘wonder rooms’ of old. Unlike cabinets of curiosity, our ‘Parlours of Wonder’ will not be designed and curated by us as arts and humanities researchers, artists and computer scientists. Our vision is that these technology enhanced spaces will be co-curated by and for residents, care staff, families and community members. Care managers who have been involved in the TMP project believe there is huge potential to use these Parlours of Wonder for community engagement where local school children, community groups and isolated older people will be encouraged to enjoy a cup of tea and a chat or a more formal encounter, sparking questions, connections, new interests or opportunities for contemplation.