Spreading joy: circus performer brings laughter and life to care home residents

A circus performer has proven a real hit with residents from a care home.

Jasmin Edwards, 32, visited Castle Dene care home in Bournemouth, Dorset to conduct a workshop.

During the performance the residents, many of whom have dementia, took part in juggling and plate spinning.

Miss Edwards said she had created the show as part of her work with the Arts by the Sea project for which she was focusing on women aging in the arts.

Ivan Siddons, 92, spins a plate on a stick (Ben Birchall/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Ben Birchall

The visits to care homes were part of a broader initiative to integrate often-overlooked communities into the arts, creating moments of joy and connection for all involved.

“We chose to do these community days in residential homes mostly because care home residents are people that like don’t get to experience things like that,” she said.

“Some people didn’t want to do it, some people did, and what I found really different in working in a residential home than, say, with children, is that children are overly confident and they pick everything up.

“What I found was that the elderly is that you had to build their confidence.

Mary Griffin, 93, centre left, laughs as she plays with a juggling ball (Ben Birchall/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Ben Birchall

“I heard a lot of, ‘I can’t do this’.

“You have to show them quite slowly and then do it a little bit.

“I build their confidence to show them they can do it.

“I use lots of sensory props, like juggling balls, so I talk about the feeling of balls, and then slowly build up to throwing one and catching one, and then maybe throwing two and catching two, throwing them to each other.”

Betty Bealey, 87, plays around with an orange scarf (Ben Birchall/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Ben Birchall

Miss Edwards, a Bournemouth-based circus performer and multi-hoop specialist, said she planned to do more sessions in care homes in the winter when her work is less busy.

“I think it’s so great to get people active.

“I was a bit anxious at first because I never worked with the elderly or in residential homes,” she said.

“They are great, really, really good fun and definitely lots of humour.

“It would be absolutely amazing if other circus performers did the same thing as me and it spread.

“The smiles on the residents are amazing and to have lots of people doing that would be incredible.”