Local playwright & poet, Tom Kelly looks out on the place he loves.

We’re very happy to bring you ‘The Place We Love’ - films for those from South Tyneside living with dementia. This one has quite a story behind it, and has been such a meaningful experience in so many ways. So much so, we just had to do a big old blog on it.

Firstly, if you’re looking to play the project online, you can just click the image above, or click here. You can also purchase The Place We Love on DVD, which are available from The Word in South Shields. If you’d like to download the project to burn your own DVD, store and view via computer or device, please get in touch, and we’ll be happy to send them to you. We would very much like the project to be as available and accessible to as many people as possible, and certainly as more feedback comes in day by day about how much people are enjoying the films.

So, what’s this project all about, and in what way might it be for those living with dementia? Well, it all started with the moment our collaborator, friend and presenter of TPWL, Tom Kelly, witnessed something striking. Our project Geordie Songs with Benny Graham - a studio-recorded selection of famous local songs - was playing in a pod in the Word. Tom noticed a woman with her family, clearly living with dementia, come alive to the sound of the regional folk melodies. She was answering questions about regional dialects, singing along and generally showing a level of lucidity her family had not seen in her for some time. Tom was amazed, and if you’d seen him at the time, you might have spotted the light bulb floating above his lovely white head of hair. There are a lot of people living with dementia, and there could well be something we could do to help, he thought. Tom had already worked with us on Geordie Songs with Benny Graham, and our award-winning educational drama Our Catherine, and, always looking to work together once more, wor Tom thought we might be the ones to help him once again to bring his thoughts to life.

Our friends, Tom & Richard Barber. Richard has since retired from The Word, but whilst he was there, he brought many creative opportunities our way, and is a geet good friend.

Still pre-retirement at The Word, The National Centre for the Written Word, Our friend Richard Barber pitched Tom’s light bulb moment to the Arts Council and before we knew it, we were working on The Place We Love. The project was this: A collection of films for those living with dementia, taking them on a journey of time & music through the place they call home.

Time went on through pre-production, and things happened. Richard retired from The Word after years of dutiful service to the support of good-hearted cultural creations, handing the project to Kelly Walton, who took the baton with grace and skill. During our first meeting, we watched as she brought us a tray of heavy coffees, not offering to help at all because we felt awkward assuming that she might need it, because you know, the modern world and that.

Moving forward with Tom & Kelly, we knew that although our intention was pure, the theory behind the project was vague at best, and quite literally anecdotal. We were quite aware of this until we met with Liz & Penny of Alzheimer’s Society, who were looking to support the project if it seemed right for them. We pitched them our idea, and they thought it seemed like something that could really do some good. An experienced, knowledgeable, passionate & caring Liz Williams approved, and put away any doubts we had about the project. We could go forward safe in the knowledge that people who have spent their lives helping those with dementia, genuinely reckon The Place We Love is a great idea. Suddenly, we were acting on more than just a hunch, and powered on into production.

Fast forward several months, and it seems like every person we speak to whilst filming in and around South Tyneside knows and loves someone who is living with dementia. We’re starting to realise just how much impact the condition has on people. During this time, people we know are diagnosed with dementia, and the reality sets in. Whatever we’re doing, it seems to be a worthy cause.

Before long, we’ve got everything in the bag, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed filming in and around South Tyneside, with the whimsical Tom passionately teaching us along the way about our part of the world and how truly special it is to belong to it. We’ve encountered many things and people, and most notably is just how thoroughly helpful & kind the people of South Tyneside are. With a project of this size, with a modest budget and a small crew, you’re essentially working on good faith, being honest with people, and expressing the passion and belief you have in what you’re doing - a sentiment left with us in no small part by Liz Williams of Alzheimer’s Society. The region reciprocated, helping along the production wherever and whenever they could, knowing that helping us was helping everyone who had their lives effected by dementia. Suddenly, once again, the project seemed to mean a lot more.

Ryan, Phil & Tom on the first day of filming at The Customs House.

The likes of The Customs House & Ray Spencer, The Missions to Seafarers and Colmans fish and chips graciously allowed us to film in their iconic locations, for which we’re so very grateful. We recall being particularly gutted when, feeling full from having just scoffed our packed lunches, we were offered free bang-up fish and chip meals from the kind folk at Colmans after filming had wrapped there. Tom did a mini-burp from his delicious fish supper, and looked on us in pity. What a wounder!

Even whilst editing the project, more and more folk offered up their help - with many local photographers (and their children, as some had since passed on) giving us permission to use their old photographs of the region. This allowed us to do something we’d always had one eye on doing for years in some capacity - transitioning between old and new in a way that really gets across the ways in which our world has changed, and stayed the same. This video of King Street in the 1950’s had always intrigued us and inspired these thoughts. As Tom says in the film, how things change, eh?

The day of the screening of The Place We Love arrived. Tom introduced the project to a room composed of Alzheimer’s Society representatives, South Tyneside Council representatives, Dementia friends, South Tyneside Libraries, Living well with Dementia group, residents living with dementia, their carers and those organising and providing support, to name a few. Jeez, nee pressure eh?

Following the screening, many approached and offered up their feedback, a few in particular being a kindly woman, close to tears, who remarked that her husband had lit up and enjoyed himself in a way he had not for quite some time; and who else approached us but Liz Williams of Alzheimer’s Society. Liz, in her trademark passionate and warm manner, told us how well she thought we had done, and just how likely the project was to help those she had given her life to help. We gave her a big hug, and we went home satisfied that we’d done what we set out to do, and in the knowledge that The Place We Love may well do some good.

It was only a week later that we heard the news. Over the weekend, Liz Williams, the bright eyed woman who blessed our project from the start, had passed away.

Jon, Liz, Penny & Ryan in the final days of filming

We only met Liz three times, but in each meeting she left a mark on us that encouraged us on through the challenge of bringing The Place We Love to life. That’s why this project will forever be dedicated to Liz and her tireless efforts to help those living with dementia.

We had a truly remarkable experience working on this project, and we’d like to extend our gratitude to everyone who helped and made it possible.