A NEW exhibition is to be presented in York to help raise understanding of dementia and reduce misconceptions and stigma.

The media and film campaign will feature positive portraits of people living with dementia, as well as their families and carers.

It has been produced by Inspired Youth in partnership with Harmony Café in Tang Hall, York, and the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and will be exhibited next week, during National Dementia Awareness week.

Under the banner "A Story Like Ours", the exhibition will focus on people and their relationships.

It will include photographs taken over several months working with Minds In Motion, a student charity that runs Harmony Café, a monthly event for people with dementia. The campaign also includes two films, which will be screened before films at City Screen cinema in Coney Street.

Kev Curran, director of Inspired Youth, said: “It has been an incredible journey creating this work and a humbling experience meeting people in the community living with dementia.

"Harmony Café is one of the most inspiring places I have ever experienced and we are grateful to the student volunteers who helped us to bring this hugely important body of work together. It is refreshing to see young people and older people sharing company, stories and experiences.

"People living with dementia come from all walks of life, and they are all effected to varying extremes, but they are just people, with their own story. It is a pleasure to share their stories with the community. We hope it raises awareness and challenges attitudes.”

Katherine Blaker, community development manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: "People living with dementia have told us in our research that one of the greatest challenges to living a full and active life is the fear and stigma associated with dementia. By focusing on the warmth and love evident in these peoples’ relationships, A Story Like Ours highlights that people living with dementia are people just like you and I with a past, a present and a future.”

Heather Lyiask, leader of Harmony Café said: “A Story Like Ours has given so many people at Harmony Café the opportunity to reflect on just how fantastic their lives and stories are. The project has been so uplifting, inspiring and moving for both guests and student volunteers and we are all so grateful to the wonderful people at JRF and Inspired Youth who have made this possible.

"We can't wait to celebrate the lives of so many of our guests at the launch during Dementia Awareness Week on May 23, and look forward to showing the public that there is a lot more to those living with dementia than is commonly assumed.”

The exhibition will be shown at City Of York Council’s West Offices from May 18 to 22, then there will be a public exhibition at Kings Manor on Saturday, May 23, from 1pm to 4pm.

The work will be available to local organisations and businesses that wish to display them. Anyone interested should contact the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.