Gestures

2019 - 2023

Never has there been a time when ‘touch’ was so important for re-connection, care and healing, and never has it felt so out of reach.

Gestures explores touch as a meaningful and joyful pathway to wellbeing. It has been developed by Fevered Sleep for Sherrell House Care Home through Magic Me’s Artists in Residence in Care Homes project.

It explores ‘touch’ in different ways to ensure people can engage on multiple levels, whether they are a resident in their bed, a staff member taking a break or a relative visiting once a week. It aims to add value to existing care, whilst also expanding our understanding of what touch is and what touch can be

It is designed and delivered by our Associate Artists Akshay Sharma and Petra Söör who work in collaboration with the care home, to create artistic interventions which have a more meaningful and long term impact for people at all stages of life.

Photo by Camila Greenwell, Sherrell House Care Home, 2022

How can we reimagine touch?

Gestures through lockdown

Throughout 2020 and 2021 we were unable to visit Sherrell House Care Home due to lockdown restrictions and the ongoing health crisis, which had a particularly extensive impact on care homes.

So we began to question “what gestures and invitations of touch can we offer each other at a time when touch is limited and disparaged?”

In response to this question, our Associate Artists Akshay Sharma and Petra Söör designed a series of small art works, digital resources and activities for staff, relatives and residents to engage with in our absence. Some examples of this work are below:

Gestures Pamphlet

The Gestures pamphlet was designed by Akshay and Petra with Graphic Designer Fraser Muggeridge Studio. Designed as an invitation to enter the world of touch by reading thoughts and stories on touch and performing short exercises to help staff, relatives and residents tune into their senses. The pamphlet was sent to the care home with accompanying materials to encourage greater creativity and a range of engagement.

The pamphlet had multiple purposes; as a card to keep or give away to someone as a gift, or as a fold out poster that can be hung on a wall, or stand in a window sill. The back of the pamphlet was left blank as an open canvas for experimentation.

The QR code on the first page of the pamphlet led to a voice recording of the whole contents.

Voice recordings of instructional breathing and massage exercises were also made available.

Gestures Short Film

Akshay and Petra created a short 8 minute film to encourage calm, tactility and playfulness through the world of movement, sound and voice.

The TV is a central focal point in the care home, and in the making of this film we questioned - “In what ways can we bring attention to touch and bring a little of the outdoors, indoors?

Whilst experiencing the film we encouraged staff and relatives to engage in touch based activity, for example holding a leaf or paper flower, touching or holding someone’s hand.

Gestures in the care home

Photo by Camilla Greenwell, Sherrell House Care Home, 2022

In April 2022 we finally returned to the care home in person. As we approach the end of the project in March 2023, our attention has turned to the question of “what can we meaningfully and usefully leave behind”

The following interventions are designed by Akshay Sharma and Petra Söör for the final year of this project:

Dance & Photography and Sound Installation, by Akshay Sharma

In June & July 2022 Akshay Sharma worked with photographer Camilla Greenwell and dancers Imogen Alvares and Olive Hardy, to deliver a dance photography project for Sherrell House. Through live dance performance and photography, this project continued to draw attention to touch, whilst also bringing the beauty and calm from the outside, inside.

Some of these images were then selected with the Care Home and turned into a photobook for residents, relatives and care staff to use.

Akshay also worked with Sound Designer Pascal Colman to create a sound piece inspired by these photographs, which is now installed permanently on floor 2 of Sherrell House.

Photo by Roswitha Chesher, Sherrell House Care Home, 2023

Photo by Uzo Onyejiaka, Barceloneta Beach, 2023

Materials, Tactility and Togetherness by Petra Söör

In February and March 2023 Petra worked with residents, staff and relatives to co-design activities, materials and objects exploring touch through tactility and texture, including:

Activity boxes for each floor of the care home, containing materials, conversation cards and tactile objects to encourage a different type of engagement and new ways of being together.

A mobile loom where everyone contributes to a woven object together

Tactile lap blankets & cushions, co-created through relative workshops to provide comfort and stimulation to everyone, even those who cannot leave their beds.

Through this work, Petra was able to engage people of all abilities at all stages of life. Her work encourages different types of stimulation and suggests new ways for staff, relatives and residents to be together.

“…For a moment we just were, right there, soft animals hanging out together. In the presence of gentle contact.”

You can continue reading about related topics on our blog by visiting blog posts about touch written by Akshay Sharma and Petra Söör: Tactile Field - Petra Söör and Touch - Akshay Sharma