Tangible Memories: community in care through storytelling

The digital transformations of the last few decades are leaving behind many older adults who, for reasons ranging from accessibility issues to work biographies to personal preference, are less likely to engage with digital technologies.

At the same time discourse and practice around the design of technologies foregrounds the biological over the personal, social and cultural needs of older people, tending to highlight aspects of surveillance and the need for physically 'assistive' technologies.

The interdisciplinary Tangible Memories: Community in Care project, which worked with computer scientists, artists and historians, adopted a different approach - designing technologies to support the personal and social lives of older adults. The project explored the potential of tangible user interfaces to enable storytelling - making sense of and sharing stories of lives lived - to increase 'community' in care home settings.

Dr Helen Manchester, who led the Tangible Memories project, suggests new approaches to designing innovative technologies with older adults that decrease aspects of social isolation often experienced in care home settings.

About the speaker

Dr Helen Manchester (University of Bristol) specialises in conducting participatory, co-produced research with community and voluntary organisations and cultural institutions. She is interested in learning futures, urban learning and digital cultures.

This UCL Knowledge Lab seminar is free and open to all. Non-UCL attendees should register in advance by emailing a.vasalou@ucl.ac.uk.

Related links

• More about the project: Tangible Memories: Community in Care
• Dr Helen Manchester's profile (University of Bristol)
• Next UCL Knowledge Lab seminar: "The ScratchMaths Project", 10 May
• How music-making helps people 'love later life' (IOE Blog)
• UCL Knowledge Lab

Event contact

Mina Vasalou
a.vasalou@ucl.ac.uk