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Parkinson, C., 2013.

A Bird in a Gilded Cage

Output Type:Internet publication
Publication:Ixia - Public Art Think Tank
Publisher:Ixia - London
URL:ixia-info.com/new-writing/a-bird-in-a-gilded-cage
Volume/Issue:May 2013

In a post-Francis* world where institutional neglect and cruelty towards some of our most vulnerable citizens has been exposed, A Bird in a Gilded Cage suggests that the arts might offer something of an antidote to the way we support people affected by memory loss. A gentle polemic that sweetly kicks the ankles of those obsessed with understanding the impact of the arts on human wellbeing through crude pseudo-scientific measurements, placing creativity, culture and the arts at the heart of a conversation about quality of life. Graphic design is by Bridget Hines on the MA Design LAB.

*The final report into the care provided by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. The Inquiry Chairman, Robert Francis QC, concluded that patients were routinely neglected by a Trust that was preoccupied with cost cutting, targets and processes and which lost sight of its fundamental responsibility to provide safe care. His final report is based on evidence from over 900 patients and families who contacted the Inquiry with their views.

A Bird in a Gilded CageA Bird in a Gilded Cage