Recognizing the power of the arts for social change, Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice has teamed with two-time Grammy Award winning musician Simon Law to create an original song, “Let’s Reimagine” as part of a global campaign that launches January 27. The song features people living with dementia as soloists, chorus members and through spoken word.
View the song and video below:
The “Let’s Reimagine” campaign invites people the world over to join together in fighting for a radical change in policies and practices that have marginalized people living with dementia and their families and care partners and have caused unnecessary harm and suffering. As Coalition member/activist Mike Belleville, a member/activist who is living with dementia, explains, “Some people who I thought were my friends kind of disappeared. I think it was out of fear, because of what they thought the disease was.”
According to Law, who volunteered his time and talent to this project, “Over the last eight years of working in this field, I’ve witnessed the powerfully transformative and relational qualities of music for those living with dementia, their carers and loved ones. The way music knits people together, often with no words being said. I saw this as a wonderful musical opportunity to get out a global message that encourages everyone to rethink dementia – to be imaginative, positive, creative, playful, and to realise that the tools are already with us.”
As Reimagining Dementia coordinator Mary Fridley notes, “‘Let’s Reimagine’ is not the first time a song has been used to promote social change. Just as 1985’s “We Are The World” campaign united people the world over in support of famine relief in Africa, this campaign calls on people across the globe to come together to help shift the conversation about dementia from stigma and fear to joy, dignity, possibility and growth. As the 2021 Radio City concert with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga also joyfully showed, people can live fully, purposely and joyfully with dementia.”
About the Reimagining Dementia Coalition: Launched in September 2020, Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice is an international coalition of people living with dementia, care partners, dementia activists and advocates, health and mental health professionals, artists, researchers, policymakers, and others. The Coalition is committed to using the transformative nature of the arts to promote a world in which belonging, caring relationships, creativity, joy and the possibility of growth is possible for everyone, including those impacted by dementia. As of January 2022, the Coalition has over 600 members from 27 countries.