Trafford exhibition explores dementia through art

MCRJourno

A new exhibition at Waterside in Sale, Greater Manchester, offers a deeply personal view of dementia through the eyes of a daughter and carer.

Our Long Goodbye, by Manchester-based artist and drama practitioner Jenny Harris, runs from 14th June to 27th July in Gallery ’74.

The exhibition features photographs, short films and written reflections documenting the relationship between Harris and her mother who lives with Alzheimer’s disease.

Harris began the project during the COVID-19 pandemic when lockdowns and care home restrictions kept her from visiting her mother.

"I couldn’t be with her, so I started taking photos." Harris said.

"Without realising it, I created a visual archive of our relationship with dementia and with each other."

Since 2020 she has taken more than 1,000 photographs as part of this ongoing personal and artistic journey.

Through Our Long Goodbye, Harris invites viewers to consider how art can help us process and share experiences of love, loss and change.

The exhibition is free and open to the public from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

On Saturday 21st June Harris will lead a free creative writing workshop for two hous at 1pm.

The session is open to anyone affected by dementia and requires no prior writing experience.

Places can be booked by emailing ourlonggoodbye2025@gmail.com.

Our Long Goodbye is presented in partnership with The Care Lab at the University of Manchester and supported by Arts Council England.