Recording our ‘Beyond The Lines’ Jolly Podcast
We had the pleasure of recording a very special series of conversations for the Beyond the Lines Jolly podcast over three inspiring days in July. Together, we explored a wide range of important and deeply human topics, including ageing well, wellbeing through creativity and being outdoors, dementia, caring, research, hospital arts, death and dying, and the power of connection.
Firstly, we were joined by Michael and Mary Allen, who are guests at our Jolly Wimborne group. They shared their experiences of living with dementia and growing older. We also heard from Maheen Mohammadally, who spoke movingly about her family's experience of caring for her father, who is living with dementia.
Alongside these personal stories, we welcomed expert voices from health, care and research, including Dr Bernard Coope, Clinical Psychiatrist with the Memory Assessment Service; Vikki Tweedy, Dementia Consultant Nurse and Kate Rourke, Dementia and Frailty Nurse at Dorset County Hospital; Dr Michele Board, Professor and Co-Director of the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre at Bournemouth University; and Dr Natalie Djohari, Anthropologist and Embedded Researcher at Bournemouth University, whose work explores the benefits of creativity for people living with dementia while waiting for a diagnosis.
On our last day of recording we were joined by Liz Rose from Men at the Farm in Gillingham, Liz Reeve from Word and Action Theatre Company, Jan Robson, retired nurse and volunteer with In Jolly Good Company, Vikki Tweedy, Dee Elston, who cares for her husband Phillip, now living in a care home with dementia, and Maheen Mohammadally, who returned to continue sharing her family's story.
We also welcomed Suzy Rushbrook from Arts in Hospitals and Creative Health Specialist Caroline Barnes, who spoke about the important role creativity plays in hospital settings, from exhibitions to art and music activities that support older people during their recovery.
Our lovely founder and manager, Sarah, led the conversations while Gary Jarman of Pageant Productions recorded them. The discussions were thoughtful, honest and full of warmth, bringing together research, professional knowledge and, most importantly, the voices of people living with dementia and those supporting them every day.
Rather than using the small recording studio at Little Keep, Dorset, we created a relaxed recording space in one of the larger rooms, with equipment kindly borrowed from Little Keep 106 Radio. Sitting together around a table helped everyone feel comfortable, making it easy to chat, share stories and speak openly.
There was plenty of laughter alongside the more emotional moments, reminding us just how valuable it is to create spaces where people feel listened to, understood and able to share their experiences.
A huge thank you to everyone who gave their time and shared their stories, knowledge and expertise. Every conversation added something special, and everyone involved made these recordings a genuine pleasure to be part of.
We can't wait to share the full Beyond the Lines podcast series when it launches in January 2027.
