"Neva". 2017 - present
In this film project, people with a dementia are invited to narrate a passage of writing that is ordinarily used to test reading ability. These narrations are the starting point for an exploration of the landscapes set out in the text.
the 'Neva'
2018 - present
the 'Neva' is a multichannel video installation about dementia, narration and the landscapes of a test.
Are the voices of people with dementia diminished by cognitive testing materials? This film demonstrates individual capacities for expression through narration whilst exploring creative, historical and aesthetic qualities hidden in a scientific test of reading.
Featuring 6 narrators who encounter a range of challenges with reading; from perceiving letters and words, to speaking them aloud or understanding their meaning, the film aims to highlight retained strengths for communication through bodily gesture, facial intonation and the playful drive to express oneself. The short passage that is narrated in the film is commonly used by neurologists when assessing reading abilities, and it was devised by Prof Elizabeth K Warrington as part of the Queens Square Screening Test for Cognitive Defects. The text includes details from Prof. Warrington’s own personal history and the film creatively explores these names, places and objects in association with the narrations.
This project has been funded by the Created Out of Mind residency at Wellcome Collection, London and UCL.
The film will be touring throughout 2019, funded by a Wellcome Public Engagement grant. For further information, exhibitions and screenings, please contact: charlesrobertharrison@gmail.com
Installation & touring documentation can be found here
