Who we are
Mind the Change Inc. is a non-for- profit association committed to providing high quality arts based self-development workshops, involving people living with dementia and their primary support network. Mind the Change Inc. encourages everyone to take a look into the arena of performance art allowing people an opportunity for sensory engagement, positive interaction and to overcome isolation. Utilising drama techniques in conjunction with laughter therapy we aim to support the well-being of those living with memory loss, making accessible an array of creative tools for people working with, caring for and living with dementia. Being the only association in Perth that delivers this style of service we, strive to develop new, and enhance existing, networks within the current community of people living with this condition.
History
The “Mind the Change” concept was formed in late 2009 when funds from a HACC (Home and Community Care) grant were made available. After a few months of fine tuning the course content, a pilot program was launched in Shenton Park, Western Australia. The successful pilot was then trialled again in 2011 with dementia support groups at Warwick and Midland with further success. Using grant funding allowed us to launch the program officially, and to make it available to regional Western Australia as well as the Perth metropolitan area.
Success came in late 2012 when CANWA (Community Arts Network of Western Australia) supported the project, honouring it Catalyst funding for 2013. From there Mind the Change Inc. has received several successful fundraising efforts and philanthropic support. In early 2014 the project successfully toured to Sydney, Melbourne and the Australian Capital Territory to conduct the workshops in different communities and demographics, increasing the validity of the program and providing additional data, strategies and troubleshooting. In 2015 Mind the Change Inc. became an incorporated association and in early 2016 became an accredited charity. Mind the Change Inc. has extended its services in 2016 to include residential care in its workshop series, and continues to host regular community-based workshops across the Perth metropolitan area.
Mind the Change Inc. has been published in the Australian Journal of Dementia Care (2015 & 2019), Head2Head Journal (2014) and The CANWA Catalyst Bulletin (2012/13). Mind the Change Inc. has also presented their creative concept at the Alzheimer’s Disease International Conference (Perth 2015) and at the Second Annual Palliative, Aged and Dementia Care Forum (Melbourne 2018). Mind the Change Inc. was also nominated and a finalist in The Mental Health Good Outcomes Awards (Improved Outcomes in Seniors Mental Health 2014).
Althea is the Creator and Artistic Director behind Mind the Change Inc. Having a personal connection with the cause, as her mother has been living with Dementia for 15 years, she has a passion for theatre, performance and art. After having completed over 10 years of dance and drama examinations as a young person, she embarked on a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts Degree at WAAPA. Althea then expanded her performance to working in an arts health capacity, working with seriously ill children and their families. This enabled her to expand her vision of how performance can be perceived and how meaningful play can work in a variety of situations.
Althea’s enthusiasm in community development has led her to work with and for numerous non-for-profit organisations and Local Government Authorities within Western Australia, and more so her work with older adults. After commencing study in Aged Care, and Arts and Dementia Care (UTAS), she decided to devote her spare time (together with some generous, like-minded people working in aged care in Western Australia) to developing a series of FUN workshops which could be enjoyed by those living with dementia and their support networks.