the brief
D&AD Student Awards 2008
www.dandad.org/studentawards08
USE THE POWER OF PHOTOGRAPHY TO COMMUNICATE
THE MANY FACETS OF DEMENTIA
Photography The Fight Against Dementia Sponsored by Alzheimer’s Society
The brief
Use the power of photography to communicate the many facets of dementia.
Mandatory requirements
Between four and 12 thought provoking images. Please do not include any descriptive text, whether on the photographs or in a supporting statement.
It is not essential to portray dementia in a literal way and you are encouraged to explore more abstract visual ideas. If however you do decide to portray somebody who actually has dementia, or the family/carer of that person, you will need to obtain written consent first; an Alzheimer’s Society approved consent form can requested by email to brandinfo@alzheimers.org.uk
Tone of voice
Any individuals photographed must be portrayed respectfully, positively and with dignity.
Considerations
What would it be like to have dementia, or care for someone with dementia? What does it feel and ‘look’ like? How does dementia affect the friends and families of those suffering from it? Dementia is not just about forgetfulness and memory loss but also confusion and a loss of identity. Diseases leading to dementia cause physical and mental deterioration and people with dementia often succumb to diseases that are not fatal in other circumstances.
How can photography communicate the experience of dementia? How can the internal experience of somebody be portrayed to the outside world when, at a certain stage in the progression of their disease, this will become impossible; they will lose their understanding of how they are viewed by others.
Background
There are more than a hundred types of dementia and it is one of the greatest health and social issues facing the world today. With an ageing population, more and more people are being diagnosed with diseases like Alzheimer’s that cause dementia. It is a dreadful, fatal, condition with no cure. Drugs are already available that may slow down the progression of the disease and significant research is being carried out by the Alzheimer’s Society into the cause, care and cure of the diseases that cause dementia.
In the UK alone, one in every three people over the age of 65 dies with dementia and there are currently 700,000 people with the disease. It is predicted that by 2025 a total of one million people will be living with dementia in the UK. Although the greatest risk for developing dementia is old age there are 15,000 younger people currently diagnosed in the UK, some as young as between thirty and forty. 24 million people worldwide have dementia with a further
4.6 million people being diagnosed every year. This increase is fastest in developing countries like China where there are currently five million people diagnosed, and by 2040 an estimated 80 million people worldwide will have dementia.
Further information
www.alzheimers.org.uk and www.dandad.org/studentawards08
Deliverables
Work mounted on no more than four A2 or A3 boards.
Brief set by
Linda Seaward, Alzheimer’s Society.
contact me
emailinfo@lucyirving.com
call
07736836020