20/12/19 13:13
Yulefest Kilkenny and Kilkenny Leader Partnership gift Kilkenny County Council Library Service with award winning dementia care technology.
Kilkenny County Council Library Service welcomes the installation of the first Magic Table in the County.
Yulefest Kilkenny, just four years old, has already developed into an inclusive and curated Christmas festival.
At the heart of its programming is accessibility and fun. A key feature of the Christmas festival is its community connectivity work and it works towards welcoming a diverse audience and including all members of the community.
As part of this outreach Yulefest Kilkenny, with the support of Kilkenny Leader Partnership have recently gifted a Magic Table to Kilkenny County Council Library Service. The Magic Table will rotate in time to different libraries across the County, its first installation is Loughboy Library, located at Loughboy Shopping Centre, Waterford Rd, Kilkenny.
The Magic Table is an award-winning innovation from the Netherlands that is renowned for its cutting-edge approach to dementia care. The technology has been designed to help those at a later stage on their dementia journey to be more active and create moments of happiness. It consists of a series of interactive games that are projected on a table. The light games encourage players to reach out towards them and the lights subsequently respond to their hand and arm movements, allowing the residents to play with light, which is truly magical.
Paula Lawler, Festival Director of Yulefest Kilkenny which has brought The Magic Table to Kilkenny through the Kilkenny County Council Library Service explains the rationale behind the project. “Throughout the Yulefest Kilkenny festival we have supported active retirement groups with attendance at our events and Kilkenny works hard on being an age friendly County. The Magic Table is designed to spark conversation and enhance memory for people with dementia and also autism. With the support of Kilkenny Leader Partnership funding we were able to work with Shift8* to bring The Magic Table initiative to Kilkenny and we are happy to officially announce that The Magic Table is now installed in Loughboy Library in Kilkenny and is available for use there, with the support of the Kilkenny County Council Library Service.”
A ‘Tovertafel’, which translates into English as ‘Magic Table’ is a Dutch innovation and creates a fun, safe environment for all players. The games are formulated with the intention to trigger a sense of reminiscence among players in order to encourage stimulation socially, cognitively and physically. As light simulations, games are projected onto a table and include gardening, fishing and popping balloons. The Magic Table also include games for people with autism, these games are described as being more directly educational. The dlr LexIcon in Dún Laoghaire was the first Irish library to install a Magic Table just over a year ago.
“Kilkenny County Council Library Service is delighted to have The Magic Table installed in Loughboy Library” comments County Librarian, Josephine Coyne, “and we will ensure the best use is made of this fantastic facility offering opportunities for those living with dementia to increase their physical and social interactions and most of all, have fun.”
Paula Lawler, Yulefest Kilkenny Festival Director added: “We wanted to bring in an element for the festival that would also include our older audience with additional needs and enable people with Autism and their families to be able to access an interactive feature designed to engage and to spark fun. Already there have been groups in to enjoy The Magic Table in Loughboy Library and also enquiries from different community groups. A programming and engagement structure will commence in 2020 through Kilkenny County Council Library Service. This feature will have longevity Countywide after the festival is over as The Magic Table will rotate to other libraries around Kilkenny County in time, so Kilkenny City and County library service users and specific communities across the County can avail of the unique wellbeing benefits of The Magic Table all year round.”
Kilkenny County Council Library Service will issue a structured programme of engagement for The Magic Table which will commence in 2020. Please contact your local library for more details.