In collaboration with The Alzheimer’s Support Network and Cross Align Media, The Naples Players facilitated an eight week long film project in which members of the Alzheimer’s Support Network living with cognitive impairment engaged in artistic exercises and creative activities, learning to express themselves and tell their stories in new ways. Together, they devised a collaborative group poem entitled These Hands Have. The inspiration for this piece came from each and every member and the stories of their lives, all the places their hands have been and all the things they have done. The whole poem is a verbatim collaboration of words spoken during our sessions.

This collaboration allowed individuals with brain change to connect through storytelling and the arts, promoting personal and social wellbeing through cognitive stimulation and the development of agency and autonomy. These sessions were filmed and audio recorded to create a visual representation of their poem. The film was created in collaboration with Cross Align Media.