On 19 September 2022, the residents and the specialists from the "Family-type Accommodation Center" for people with dementia in the village of Zheleznitsa, Bulgaria had the opportunity to experience the magic of the theatre, thanks to Foundation Compassion Alzheimer Bulgaria. The Foundation successfully worked together with actors Teodor Kukov, Aladdin Aliybrahim and Alexander Itev for the second year running, in presenting creative theatre plays for people with dementia. The plays are implemented in the framework of the project “STAR — Support and Training for People and Families affected by Alzheimer’s Disease for Building Sustainability”, with the financial support of Otto per mille, the Valdesian Church of Italy. Creative theatre is an art form that is used in the field of care for people with dementia. It creates an opportunity to introduce them to a positive environment, promoting humour and fun, where the residents have the opportunity to enjoy the moment.
Theatre allows people to communicate socially and can help form meaningful relationships in which participants feel involved in a group. It is an art that reduces feelings of apathy, depression, negative emotions and social isolation, that people with dementia may feel. Foundation Compassion Alzheimer Bulgaria notes that these theatre events, which are based on well-known fairy tales and where the residents, with some help from assistants, can make their own dolls and act out the plots, lead to an improvement in the participants' communication, relationships and self-esteem, in a fun way that improves mood and reduces stress for people with dementia and caregivers.
