Talking Lines

Talking Lines is a research project which combines both visual and verbal modes of communication, taking the concept of the drawn line as a starting point to promote communication and narrative construction.

Building on pilot research which has explored line making in relation to accessibility, visual perception and the body (Single Yellow Lines, 2017-present), Talking Lines has invited 27 people living with or caring for someone with a rare dementia to draw lines and talk about their experiences; reflecting on deeply challenging situations such as maintaining identity in the face of diagnosis, the realities of care, and wider social and cultural narratives about dementia.

The presentation of this research at Drawing Room library will focus on the drawings and words of 4 participants who took part in the research. Original drawings will be displayed alongside a film which re-presents the voices and drawings made in the online research interviews. Supporting documentation and information about the wider research project and more information about rare dementias will also be available.

Talking Lines has been jointly funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). This research forms part of the RDS Impact Study which started in 2019 and will be running until 2024. It is a collaboration between University College London (UCL), Bangor University and Nipissing University in Canada, led by Professor Sebastian Crutch from the Dementia Research Centre, UCL. The artistic component for the Talking Lines project is led by visual artist Charlie Harrison, who is working alongside a team of social scientists and people with lived experience to devise, analyse and evaluate this method. Further research team members include Dr Emma Harding, UCL, Sam Rossi-Harries, UCL, Prof Mary Pat Sullivan, Nipissing University (Canada) and Prof Paul Camic, UCL.