I am fortunate to be currently living in a part of the world where this loom is still very much in use today. Small, portable and inexpensive – the backstrap loom is ideal for those who lack the space for a table or floor loom, would like to be able to take their weaving “on the road’’ with them, or simply don’t have the means to invest in more sophisticated equipment. It has been edited and extended for inclusion in this blog).īasic, crude, primitive – these are all words that may spring to mind when one thinks of the humble backstrap loom – a description that obscures the fact that some of history’s most beautiful and complex textiles have been woven on this simple arrangement of sticks.Ī simple loom, yet mysterious…the most frequent comment I hear when I pull out my backstrap rods is…“All those sticks! Where do they go and what in the world do they do?” The puzzling collection of sticks and tangle of yarn miraculously springs to life and transforms itself into a loom when the weaver herself dons the backstrap, attaches herself to the loom bar, tensions the warps and starts to weave. Visit the Music for Dementiawebsite: BASICS Laverne Waddington (An article originally writtten for the online magazine WeaveZine. What’s more, the ability to process, respond to, and engage with music remains intact however severe the dementia. This involvement enables people to be seen for who they are beyond their dementia. Music can enliven, stimulate and enable people to express themselves creatively beyond words. To achieve this, we are working with many different people, including: government, over 200 organisations in the health and social care sector and the music sector, our Ambassador Lauren Laverne, plus our growing supporter base.

We have made it our mission that everyone living with the condition has access to music as part of their care, from diagnosis through to end of life. Our goal is to make music accessible for everyone living with dementia. It is an instant connector and a universal language which has a powerful and unique role to play in dementia care. While there is no cure for dementia on the horizon we do have this transformational tool, music, at our fingertips. Music for Dementia is a not-for-profit campaign that addresses one of the fundamental issues we face as a society when supporting and caring for some of the most vulnerable people – quality of life.

Laverne upright piano