Would you like to be part of a project combining research and art?
Join the Piece of Mind project!
The Piece of Mind Collective research project has just been launched.
The purpose of our participatory research project is to promote meaningful dialogue and facilitate knowledge exchange between researchers, persons affected by Parkinson’s disease (PwP) and artists, through joint collaboration. The focus will be on creating an artistic performance based on scientific research and lived experience. These performances will be presented live in May or June 2021, and disseminated online to engage a wide audience in understanding Parkinson’s disease.
How much time would I need to commit to this?
You will be asked to commit 10-15 hours over a 3- to 5-month period, beginning November 2020. This
will be divided into approximately
1) 5 bi-monthly 1.5-hour group sessions on Zoom,
2) an additional 3-5 hours throughout the study dedicated to individual consultations (e.g. for feedback on the
content creation process).
We invite a caregiver or family member to participate with you, and you will each be compensated $25/hr for your time.
What will my participation entail?
All participants (researchers, artists, PwPs and caregivers; ~20 total) will be part of a series of group sessions in which we will discuss Parkinson’s disease from a scientific and lived experience
perspective, with the goal of creating performances that equally integrate information from both.
Music and dance will be used throughout to act as a creative tool for communication, and a common ground for self-expression and reflection between all participants.
The sessions will begin with 45 – 60 minutes of music and movement activities, which will be led by professional artists trained in working with individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
This will be followed by 30 – 45 minutes of facilitated discussion to reflect upon the activities, share knowledge and experience of Parkinson’s disease, and discuss the main themes and information to integrate into the final performances.
In parallel to these group sessions, artists and researchers will collaborate in small groups to represent scientific findings through music, dance, circus and simple analogies. The results will be shared in the group sessions, and will form the basis for the content creation process.
Following the group sessions, artists and researchers will work together to synthesize the knowledge gained and build an artistic
performance that incorporates scientific data as well as the perspectives from lived experience. PwPs and caregivers will be consulted (virtually) throughout the content creation to ensure proper representation, contribute ideas, and provide input on the final performance pieces.
Who is conducting this research project, and how do I find out more?
Dr. Naila Kuhlmann will be leading the project as a postdoctoral student in McGill University’s School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, under the co-supervision of Dr. Stefanie Blain-Moraes and Dr. Aliki Thomas.
If you would like to learn more about the project or are interested in participating, please contact Naila at pieceofmind.montreal@gmail.com.