Improv for Caregivers
https://www.nlbarn.org/adult-learning
New London Barn Playhouse
New London, New Hampshire
Improv for Caregivers is a unique communication workshop series developed by the New London Barn Playhouse in partnership with the Lake Sunapee Region VNA. This innovative program serves caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s and dementia throughout New Hampshire.
Each monthly workshop combines insights from healthcare professionals with improvised theatrical scenarios to help caregivers develop essential communication skills, stress management strategies, relationship flexibility, and deeper understanding of their loved ones’ changing perspectives. Using improvisational theatre and Augusto Boal’s forum theatre techniques, Playhouse actors perform realistic caregiving situations and pause scenes to solicit the caregiver audience to suggest additional approaches and to confirm that the strategy is a viable option to try at home.
Launched in spring 2023 following a successful pilot it now reaches 100-150 caregivers annually through sessions at multiple locations in various community sites. Topics have evolved to address participant needs, including navigating holidays, managing pain behaviors, communicating with care teams, and many more.
Inspired by the Improv for Caregivers series, the only program of its kind in New Hampshire, The New London Barn Playhouse is also creating an original production based on stories of caregivers in the Lake Sunapee and Upper Valley regions. Through meeting hundreds of caregivers around the region, we discovered that many share common journeys of grief, resilience, frustration, isolation, and love, while also experiencing personal challenges shaped by their own circumstances and relationships. By bringing these narratives to the stage and touring the new play around New England in tandem with Improv for Caregivers workshops, we hope to foster understanding, connection, and community.