Imagining Dementia Futures

22-24 January 2025

Martin Harris Centre, University of Manchester

We, conference organisers MaoHui Deng, Sarah Fox, Kate Maguire-Rosier, and Réka Polonyi, invite you, people living with dementia, carers, artists, academics and policymakers, to imagine our futures together.

When we talk about dementia, we often focus on ways to eliminate or cure the disease, rather than discussing how we can support people living with dementia to live meaningfully to the best of their abilities. However, some research does focus on meeting people living with dementia where they are and helping them live as well as they can in the present moment.

Our conference focuses on dementia futures, this is to say, the wide range of different future scenarios we might imagine where people living with dementia will be supported and valued for their capacities rather than dismissed due to their incapacities.

Our presenters come from all walks of life and backgrounds to join us and share their visions for a future where people living with dementia are celebrated. We welcome you to participate, share in and respond to creative and accessible ways of communicating ideas, for example relaxed performances, group discussions or dementia friendly film screenings.

Some topics include:

· Dementia-led practice and activism

· Importance of material objects (i.e. clothes), how we care for these objects and how they care for us.

· Technology, AI, robotics, digitality and care

· Dementia and disability

· Science fiction and speculative fiction

· Environmental, ecological, and more-than-human approaches to dementia

· Dementia and improvisation

· Dementia and futurity

· Dementia as method

· Artistic (re-)imaginings of dementia

If you have any access needs or questions, please get in touch with us via Ticket Tailor/ Eventbrite.

We have limited ringfenced funding to cover travel expenses for some attendees, with priority being given to attendees with lived experience of dementia, if you would like to attend this conference and need travel reimbursement, please fill out this 4-question form. We will inform you of the outcome of your application (1-2 weeks before the event).

See you there :)

´´Your conference team – Sarah, Réka, Kate & Mao