Céilí Recall: Empowering older adults to lead Adaptive Irish Céilí Dance Clubs in their communities

Description

There are three strands to Céilí Recall:
1. Training older adults to lead adaptive Irish céilí dance/movement activities (TRAINING – COMPLETED).

2. Research on the lived experience of older adults (RESEARCH – COMPLETED).

3. Establishing and providing ongoing support for community based ‘Adaptive Céilí Clubs’ for older adults (SUSTAINABILITY – ONGOING).

TRAINING
The purpose of the training programme was to:
• Empower older adults to lead adaptive Irish céilí dance activities in their local communities by enhancing their knowledge, skills and confidence.

• Understand the supports required to set up “Adaptive Céilí Clubs” (‘Clubs’) for older adults in local communities from the perspective of older adults themselves.

• To co-develop appropriate resources and supports to enable older adults lead and sustain adaptive céilí dance activities in these ‘Clubs’.

• Inform future iterations of the training programme.

The training programme was delivered over eight, 2-hour sessions on Tuesdays from 12th July to 31st August 2022 in St. Oliver Plunketts GAA Club in Dublin 7. Recruitment of participants was co-ordinated by the Regional Age Friendly Programme Manager and a Senior Community Worker with Dublin City Council. Trainees were primarily resident in Cabra, Glasnevin and Phibsboro. A total of 33 trainees attended, with an average of 17 attendees per session.

Pre-activity health questionnaires, information sheets and consent forms (for audio and visual recording and sharing of activities) were explained and distributed to participants in Week 1. Each session started with a gentle chair warm-up routine following which a variety of couple, circle and line formation (progressive) céilí dances were taught. Adaptations for each of the twelve dances covered were co-developed with participants. A Bluetooth speaker was used for the accompanying music. Light refreshments were served during mid-session rest breaks. These breaks enabled the group to connect as a community. The training sessions ended with a gentle cool-down routine and any participant queries or concerns were also addressed.

Practical supports to enable trained dance leaders to establish local Adaptive Céilí Clubs were provided by Munster Academy through, for example, planning and evaluation templates, pre-activity health questionnaires, sample information sheets and consent forms, weekly handouts, research articles on the benefits of dance/movement for older adults, and ongoing mentoring for 12 months post-training programme completion.

Outputs from the training included co-developed resources such as:
• A Facilitator’s Adaptive Céilí Dance for Older People Instructional Handbook.

• Videos of dances, adaptations and footwork featuring the participants themselves. Note that some participants did not consent to public sharing of these videos so private, password-protected Vimeo links were provided to the participants.

• Lists of free YouTube music and céilí dancing resources.

The training programme concluded with a celebration ‘Céilí Mór’ public event on 19th October 2022 in the Dominick Street Recreation Centre, Dublin 1. Live music was provided by the Brian Ború Céilí Band. In recognition of their achievements, the newly trained dance leaders were presented with Certificates of Achievement from Munster Academy of Irish Dance.

RESEARCH
The purpose of the research was to:
• Gain insight to the lived experience of older adults from the perspective of older adults themselves.

• Understand the role that dance has played, and continues to play, in the lives of project participants.

• Amplify the participants’ voices in challenging the stigma of ageism by focusing on, and raising awareness of, their abilities.

Ethical approval was obtained from TUS and the research conducted by way of three facilitated focus groups in Weeks 3, 5 and 7 of the training programme. During Focus Group 2, participants engaged in creating an artwork featuring the soles of their feet and aptly called “Dancing Feet”. This was presented to Age Friendly Dublin City during the Céilí Mór event. Focus groups 1 and 3 were audio-recorded with the participants consent and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of the data identified key themes which informed the development of a Doodly animation (https://vimeo.com/user40953510/ceilirecallanimation). The animation captures the essence of the Céilí Recall project from the participants perspective and provides an understanding of the role and meaning of traditional dance activities in their lives. First shown at the CéilÍ Mór event, the animation is now used as an awareness-raising and promotional tool for the Céilí Recall programme.

SUSTAINABILITY
Since September 2022, three groups of Céilí Recall trained dance leaders have set up and successfully run Adaptive Céilí Clubs in the communities of Glasnevin and Cabra in Dublin. Weekly céilí sessions in the Senior Citizens Complex on Botanic Avenue, Glasnevin on Tuesday mornings and in St. Finbarr’s GAA Club in Cabra on Thursday evenings, are attended by an average of fifty people across both locations. Additionally, a monthly Adaptive Céilí Club for older adults (including wheelchair users) forms part of the social activities programme in the Sancta Maria Day Centre on Kilkieran Road, Cabra West. In all cases, sessions have finished for the summer but will resume in September 2023.

Aim of Initiative

Céilí Recall © is a first-of-a-kind pilot project co-developed by Munster Academy of Irish Dance with, and for, older adults. It aims, in an inclusive, mutually respectful, supportive and sustainable way, to empower older adults to lead person-centred adaptive Irish (group, social) céilí dance/movement activities for older adults in their own local communities. It also aims to:

• Gain insight to the lived experience of older adults from the perspective of older adults themselves.

• Understand the role that dance has played, and continues to play, in the lives of project participants.

• Amplify the participants’ voices in challenging the stigma of ageism by focusing on, and raising awareness of, their abilities.

Who is it aimed at

The project is primarily targeted at older adults who are willing to lead adaptive Irish céilí dance activities for older adults in their local communities. Through establishing community-based inclusive Adaptive Céilí Clubs, the project also benefits all members of those communities regardless of their age, traditional dance experience, physical, intellectual or cognitive ability.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Support, enthusiasm and buy-in for the project:

   a) From the top down within Age Friendly Ireland thanks to Dr Emer Coveney (National Manager) and Bruce McDevitt (Regional Programme Manager – Dublin).

   b) From the bottom up thanks to Niall Byrnes (Senior Community Worker – Dublin City Council). His years of dedicated, on-the-ground work in local communities proved vital in sourcing venues for both the training and setting up the Adaptive Céilí Clubs, and for the recruitment of enthusiastic participants.

   c) Laterally, thanks to the participants themselves who invested a significant amount of time and energy in attending the training programme, participating in the research, and creating the “Dancing Feet” artwork.

2. Flexibility regarding the budget.

   This was a pilot project and the initial budget reflected anticipated costs. However, due to issues of non-consent to the sharing of co-developed video resources by several dance leaders, and IT issues for both the project team and some participants, additional costs were incurred by the project team to overcome these challenges. The additional funding required to ensure the successful completion of the project was promptly provided.

3. Experienced project team.

   Munster Academy of Irish Dance is the leading practitioner in the co-development of innovative, first-of-a-kind adaptive Irish céilí dance programmes (see www.allirishdance.com). With over ten years of experience specifically working with older adults, the project lead created a relaxed, fun atmosphere in which all could thrive. As an older adult living with a chronic condition which causes mobility issues, she is also able to relate on a personal level to the challenges faced by some older adult participants. The combination of experience and relatability was vital in gaining maximum buy-in to the project from trainee dance leaders.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. The project was originally due to start in early May 2022. Due to a combination of unforeseen circumstances outside the control of all involved in Age Friendly Ireland and Munster Academy of Irish Dance, it did not start until 12th July 2022 which was during peak summer holiday time. The challenge was to ensure continuity of attendance by participants. This was overcome by the recruitment of additional trainee dance leaders which resulted in, for example, three different communities having five representatives on the training programme. At each session, at least two representatives from each community attended and shared the learnings with those who could not attend afterwards. The provision of detailed weekly notes and handouts detailing the dances and adaptations covered at any given training session, plus the co-developed video resources, were key elements in guiding the sharing of learning among each group’s representatives.
2. The original project proposal was based on each training session being of three hours duration (which included a 20-minute rest/refreshment break). Three days before the project started, the project team were advised that the venue was only available for 1.5 hours per session. The challenge was to ensure that all three elements and proposed outputs of the project could be successfully achieved within a reduced timeframe. This challenge was overcome in the following two ways:

   a) The training syllabus was re-jigged by removing some line/progressive dances from the programme. These have now been incorporated (along with additional formation dances and a range of other potential adaptations) in to a Céilí Recall Level 2 Train the Trainer Programme for older adults which is ready for piloting (subject to available funding).

   b) Building a respectful relationship with the venue manager which resulted in additional flexibility regarding start/finish times such that the research and artwork creation elements of the project could be completed.

3. Information sheets detailing the purpose of videoing dances were explained and distributed to all involved in the project in Week 1. Participants were asked to sign forms consenting to video-sharing either with the group (as a training resource), publicly and/or for education and training purposes. At the outset of the programme, all consented to sharing videos with the group as a training resource. In Week 5, however, four trainee dance leaders advised the project team that they no longer consented to video-sharing of any kind. At that point, four dances featuring co-created adaptations had been recorded and it was not possible to edit the videos to remove the four trainee dance leaders. The videos are a key resource for ongoing support of the community based Adaptive Céilí Clubs so this challenge was overcome by:

   a) Re-recording the four dances using members of Munster Academy of Irish Dance. This resulted in additional hours for the project team (time spent organising, recording, editing and producing the additional videos), the costs of which were, importantly, covered promptly by Creative Ireland through the Age Friendly Ireland Regional Creative Initiative Programme.

   b) Moving those who had not consented to a different part of the dance floor during filming of the remaining dances so they could not be seen but could still participate in the dances.

   c) Sharing of videos on a password-protected platform (Vimeo) and sharing the link only with those who completed the training programme (consent was given for this in Week 7).

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. The research element of the project provides a snapshot of Ireland’s social history from the 1940s through to the 1970s. It also highlights the role that traditional dance has played in the lives of participants and the meaning they attach to that role. The practice-based element of the project has enabled the provision and sustainability of adaptive Irish céilí dance for older adults in the Dublin area through the creation of a pool of confident, trained dance leaders. These leaders have set up three Adaptive Céilí Clubs for older adults in Glasnevin and Cabra positively impacting on, and in, those communities. With an average of fifty people attending weekly, one dance leader notes that “the classes are thriving, they’re going really well”. The addition of this fun, inclusive, person-centred physical activity in the community provides increased opportunities for social participation, social interaction and connectivity and impacts the wellbeing and quality of life of those attending with one leader stating that “it has given lots of people a lift for the last year.”
2. The benefits and outcomes arising from participation in this project, for both the dance leaders and those attending the community based Adaptive Céilí Clubs, are presented thematically below. The themes are accompanied by quotes from the dance leaders themselves. The quotes were generated through either the project’s research focus groups or from personal correspondence received by the project lead in June 2023. Additional evidence of the physical and psychosocial benefits of participation in Céilí Recall are embedded in the Doodly animation which resulted from the research element of this project (see https://vimeo.com/user40953510/ceilirecallanimation?share=copy).

   Theme 1: Increased opportunities for social inclusion and social participation in a physical activity where no judgement is passed, no previous experience is needed, and participation in its broadest sense is encouraged.

   • “I’m not a dancer. I have two left feet” and “I wouldn’t call myself a dancer …”.
   • “Nobody is worried thinking ‘Oh God, did I do that instead of that?’ … we’re trying and failing sometimes …”.
   • “People will feel they could give it a go.”
   • “And they watch other people doing it. And they enjoy watching other people, even if they can’t do it themselves.”
   • “The amount of lonely people who just need to get out and hear the music. Just even to tap along to it.”
   • “… there’s so many people out there who love Irish music. Older people. And I think a lot of them would just come to listen to the music and if they don’t dance, they still enjoy it.”

   Theme 2: A sense of belonging through connection with a community of mutual interest and respect, leading to a reduction in loneliness and social isolation.

   • “Meeting new people.”
   • “Well, I for one am delighted that I came here. Not just for the dancing, but for the people that I met here. It makes such a difference … we can talk to each other and have a giggle … or give out, or whatever. I think that’s important …”.
   • “We didn’t know each other until two weeks ago and now we’re all together like a big family helping each other. Which I think is wonderful.”
   • “… And then to have other people who are around that age group, that they would sit and chat together and be looking at us at the same time … a social thing as well.”
   • The network of dance leaders still connects through the WhatsApp group set up during the training programme “when there’s anything going on” and came together for a “Céilí Mór in March in Dublin” which was “a great success”.
   • They are looking forward to attending the céilí event in Limerick on 1st October 2023 stating that they are “willing to travel”, “will be up for it” and “will be there”.

   Theme 3: A sense of purpose and meaning leading to the dance leaders seeking out opportunities to lead adaptive Irish céilí dance across communities and international borders.

   • Dance leaders in Cabra “… are doing (the) Leinster fleadh (on) 8th July (2023)” and are building connections outside of Ireland through the “Céilí le Chéile” event which they organised on 19th June 2023 in Cabra. This was a cultural exchange of “song, music and dance from the Isle of Man and Brittany”.

   Theme 4: Ageing healthily due to an increased motivation to participate leading to enhanced mood, and (physical and mental) wellbeing.

   • “… it’s fun … we’re here and we enjoy it … it releases those happy endorphins and I think you get such a buzz out of that that you want to do more.”
   • “I love the fun aspect of it.”
   • “I love it – it just gets you going.”
   • “On a miserable winter’s night, when it’s raining, to be able to go down to your local hall and have 2 hours of craic.”
   • “They get out of their houses, they dress up, they come.”
   • This initiative “has given lots of people a lift for the last year.”

   Theme 5: Re-connecting with their identity and heritage through traditional dance.

   • “(T)hanks for bringing it back to me”.
   • “it’s just something that’s always been there.”
   • “It’s my heritage … it’s nice to keep tradition.”

3. The Level 1 Train the Trainer programme delivered as part of this Céilí Recall pilot project facilitates the inclusion of healthy older adults; older adults with physical disabilities including wheelchair users; older adults living with chronic conditions such as arthritis; and older adults living with cognitive challenges such as dementia or Parkinson’s Disease. To make adaptive Irish céilí dance even more inclusive and person-centred, a Level 2 training programme has now been developed and is ready to be piloted (subject to available funding). The Level 2 programme incorporates the learnings from the pilot Level 1 programme and covers:

   • Eight additional céilí dances.

   • A range of potential adaptations for older adults who, for example, are vision impaired or have an intellectual disability.

   It is worth noting that both the Level 1 and Level 2 programmes can now be delivered at a significantly reduced cost due to the co-development of dance leader resources and templates during the pilot Céilí Recall in Dublin. Level 1 training will now be rolled out from September 2023 in Limerick, supported by Limerick Sports Partnership and funded through the Sport Ireland/Age & Opportunity Active National Grant Scheme. Up to 24 older adults will undertake the training with a view to setting up Adaptive Céilí Clubs within their own local communities throughout Limerick City and County. With this rollout comes an opportunity to broaden and strengthen the support network for dance leaders in Dublin and Limerick. To this end, a free adaptive céilí event at the Limerick City Gallery of Art, Pery Square, Limerick on 1st October 2023 has been organised by Munster Academy of Irish Dance. The Dublin-based leaders will travel to Limerick, supported by Age Friendly Dublin City, where they will participate with the Limerick-based trainee dance leaders. The event also marks the UN International Day of the Older Person.