Broadcasting Friday April 8th at 12pm
Creative Brain Week is an initiative of the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) where world experts from backgrounds in brain science and creativity gather to seed new ideas in social development, technology, entrepreneurship, culture, wellbeing, and physical, mental and brain health across the life cycle. In this programme our host Karen Meenan talks to attendees of the Creative Brain Week and we hear a a special performance from the Forget-Me-Nots choir, with special guest Mike Hanranhan.
This inaugural event which took place in Trinity College from 12-16 March 2022, featured a performance from The Forget-Me-Nots choir. This community based choir for older people, family, friends and neighbours which is especially welcoming for those affected by dementia and memory loss was the highlight of the fourth day, Tuesday 15 March.
The Forget-Me-Nots choir was founded in 2014 by Órla Horn for her mother Kathleen Tierney who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2012. This was the choir’s first live performance since February 2020. Mike Hanrahan of Stockton’s Wing fame sang ‘A River Rolls On’ with the choir, a song he created for his mum Mary who had Vascular Dementia. This song was recorded virtually during the pandemic, so this was the first time Mike and the choir had an opportunity to sing together – a very special moment indeed and a wonderful tribute to everyone living with dementia. This track is available to download on bandcamp, all proceeds being donated to The Alzheimer Society of Ireland.
GBHI offers a fellowship to world leaders in brain health – a place where neuroscientists, artists, researchers, dancers, economists, journalists, geriatricians, musicians, policy makers, theatre makers, psychiatrists and radio broadcasters spend a year learning how to share ideas and knowledge to improve brain health by connecting science with the arts.
Karen Meenan is a senior GBHI fellow, a volunteer broadcaster and producer with Near FM and a founder volunteer with The Forget-Me-Nots choir. Members of the choir and presenters at creative brain week were interviewed at the pop-up Near FM studio by Karen Meenan.
Social benefit programming is made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
