Testing Situations
Project Lead
Artist Charlie Harrison has been collaborating with researchers and building projects that foreground the creative strengths of people with rare dementias for the past 5 years.
He is particularly focussed on opening up broad public conversations about the experience of cognitive testing and how art might be a useful tool to shape best practice.
Collaborators & Advisors
Prof Seb Crutch’s research has focused on the neuropsychological investigation of perceptual function and language in individuals with neurodegenerative disease and stroke. Particular interests include the exploration of visual disorders and disease progression in posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), and analysis of refractory access disorders, and abstract and concrete conceptual knowledge.
Emeritus Prof Elizabeth Warrington is a true trailblazer in cognitive testing devising materials and methods of assessment that are used widely by researchers, clinicians and neuropsychologists. Now retired, Elizabeth continues to be an honorary member of the UCL Dementia Research Centre, sharing her knowledge with scientists and artists in the field.
Prof Brian Day has studied many different aspects of motor control in people who are either healthy or suffer from a wide range of neurological diseases. His current research is devoted to understanding multi-sensory processes that control and integrate whole-body motor activities.
Prof. Paul Camic is a clinical health psychologist who has a long term interest in the arts and healthcare. He also has a particular interest in public health approaches to dementia care.
Emma Harding is a social scientist doing mostly qualitative research (home-based interviews and observations) with people with different kinds of dementia. She is interested in how people describe, rate and otherwise capture or express their experiences of having a diagnosis of a dementia and in finding new and innovative ways to do this.
Keir Yong is a research psychologist whose work has primarily focused on investigating how Alzheimer’s disease and posterior cortical atrophy affect visual perception and spatial awareness. His research combines approaches of neuropsychological and engineering disciplines to develop and evaluate strategies supporting independent activities.
Bhupendra and Urvashi Desai were part of the ‘Neva’ film project, and continue to make valuable contributions to this work. They are particularly interested in shifting the focus to include human attributes such as love, compassion, laughter and wisdom.
Rose de Paeztron and Keith Roberts were active participants in many projects at Created Out of Mind, including the 'Neva' film. They have also been keen members of YOYO, a support group for people with young onset dementia in North London with a focus on activities such as creative learning, dance, singing and music therapy.
Mhari McLintock was a narrator for the Neva film and has also recently participated in a number of research trials. Mhari has a mantra of “if not now, when?” and likes to get around on a tandem.
Roberta McKee Jackson has been actively involved in several Rare Dementia Support groups, and now provides regional support for the charity. Through her work Roberta hopes to raise awareness of rare dementias and the importance of support groups for those living with dementia and their families/carers
Charlie Murphy is an artist investigating visual, linguistic and scientific metaphors and tools used to describe, analyse and understand the impact of dementias. Charlie is creating a range of artworks, performances and events which aim to raise awareness about the varied and unexpected impacts of dementias at social, personal and cellular levels. See examples of work in progress here
Emilie Brotherhood is a PhD student and Research Fellow at the Dementia Research Centre, UCL, with a background in cognitive neuroscience. Emilie was a collaborator in the Created Out of Mind residency, and continues to work with Charlie Harrison on the Rare Dementia Support Impact study and ethical considerations for artists working in the field.
Dr Chris Hardy is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Dementia Research Centre (UCL) funded by Action on Hearing Loss and the Dunhill Medical Trust. His current work focuses on understanding the relationship between hearing loss and dementia, and he has a special interest in a rare group of ‘language-led’ dementias known as the primary progressive aphasias
Dilek Ocal, Phd student and study coordinator, has been involved in Alzheimer’s research for the past 5 years. Her work combines behavioural and cognitive assessments with novel and more conventional neuroimaging methods to uncover the relationship between dementia related brain changes and the diverse behavioural and cognitive presentations within the Dementia syndrome.
Kirsty Lu has been researching Alzheimer’s disease for 7 years, focussing on measuring the earliest changes in memory and thinking. As someone who administers cognitive tests week by week, she is interested in the strengths and limitations of this type of assessment, and in reflecting on the different ways that people respond to the experience of being tested.
Hannah Carr is a psychology research assistant working on projects focusing on ageing, memory and cognition. She administers many different tasks to tap into these three elements and is interested in how different people perform on these tasks and how they respond to them.
Testing Situations owes a huge debt of thanks to a number of other people whose valuable contributions of time, conversations, participations and friendships have shaped this work immeasurably.
Rare Dementia Support
Nikki Zimmerman
Eva Tait
John Fowler
Rosemary Fowler
Sheila Keegan
Chris Pouncey
Clive Smith
Christine Smith
Helen Smith
Created Out of Mind
Kailey Nolan
Gill Windle
Julian West
Hannah Zeilig
Millie van der byl Williams
Harry MacQueen
Natasha Trotman
Caroline Evans
Janette Junghaus
Fergus Walsh
Susanna Howard
Janneke van Leeuwen
Nicholas Firth
UCL
Suzie Barker Ivanna Pavisic
Jason Warren
George Thomas
Elia Benhamou
Amy Peters
Matthew Bancroft
Diego Kaski
Wellcome
Harriet Martin
Tony Woods
Bridie Rollins
Natasha Wright
Touring Contacts
Helen Craig
Claire Robertson
Diane Garfield
Robina Maslen
Julie Negus
Kester Muller
Sabrina Moxom
Marine Begault
Carolyn Goodwin
Clare Hankinson
John-Paul Muir
Catherine Butcher
Karen Inglis
John Lewis
James Upton
Sarah Nolan
Viviana Checchia
Other
Amelia Carton
Daniel Fridholm
Katie Simpson
Hannah Fridholm
Richard Day