Welcome from Ron Coleman
Scottish Dementia Arts Festival in Edinburgh
Welcome to Deepness Dementia Arts!
Here, you'll see the Arts through the eyes of people living with dementia. We're always looking forward to getting started on the next project. After the huge success of the Scottish Dementia Arts Festivals in Stirling (2025), Edinburgh (2024) and Inverness (2023). We are super excited to already starting planning for our fourth Scottish Dementia Arts Festival taking place in Dundee in 2026. This is going to be even bigger and better, to the previous three.
Our Dementia Art Festivals showcase the best of music, theatre, poetry and film, all produced by those diagnosed with dementia. We're here to dispel stigma – just because you've received the diagnosis, that doesn't have to stop you from making the most of life and expressing your creativity!
To be the first to hear about all our plans, sign-up to our monthly newsletter, published by Deepness Dementia, written and edited by people living with dementia.
Want to Know More About the Festival?
Visit our Dementia Arts Festival page and find out more. Rather just ask? Get in touch today.
Dementia Arts Festival 2025
The Scottish Dementia Arts Festival 2025 took place in September 2025 in Stirling. A festival celebrating the very best creative minds, at the McRoberts Centre at Stirling University. A gathering with so many passionate, creative souls, family members, care partners, artists and of course artists living with dementia, all united by a belief in the transformative power of the arts. This festival was not just an event; it was a testament to the possibilities that open up when we put creativity and connection at the heart of dementia care.
We will soon begin planning for the Scottish Dementia Arts Festival 2026 taking place in Dundee. To find out more, click on the link below.
The Demented Poets
On Scottish Tour, November 2025 to January 2026
This film is a moving personal story about family, creativity, connection, love and humanity.
The Demented Poets is a documentary about a filmmaker who embarks on a personal journey after discovering that his father has dementia. He meets Ron Coleman, who proudly calls himself "The Demented Poet", and uses creativity to express and challenge how he lives with his condition. Ron introduces us to other dementia activists/artists in Scotland as they put on Scotland's first Dementia Arts Festival. We see how people living with dementia can produce meaningful art and how this helps with the illness.
Ron Coleman's Final Project
The F Ward was Ron's final piece of writing before he sadly passed away in October 2025.
A number of people made a promise to Ron to help finish the film. The GoFundMe link is live. We need your help to finish Ron's final project.
The F Ward is a film about voices that are often too silenced. Set in a UK care home during the Covid-19 pandemic, it tells the story of people living with dementia, portrayed not be actors, but by individuals genuinely living with dementia themselves. This approach hasn't been tried before in British Cinema...
Films
In addition to our other creative outlets, we're avid film-makers, too. View our short film collection at the link below. Every piece has been made by or in collaboration with people with dementia, their families and supporters. Fancy a look?
Other Activities
There's always something going on with Deepness Dementia Arts – festivals in Inverness, local plays, painting workshops, poetry recitals and more. To keep up-to-date on all the goings-on, just visit the link below. If you sign up to our mailing list, you'll get updates whenever there's news!
Want to Stay in The Loop? Sign up to the Deepness Dementia newsletter today to keep on top of all the happening in our community.
