New dementia-friendly choir launching in Yeovil

The Octagon Theatre and Westlands Entertainment Venue in Yeovil are delighted to announce the launch of a new dementia-friendly choir in Somerset, thanks to funding secured through our Arts Engagement & Outreach programme.

Launching in January 2026, the Octagon Memory Choir is an exciting new project designed to support people living with dementia or memory challenges, alongside their family and carers. Delivered in partnership with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and the Alzheimer’s Society, the choir will offer weekly singing sessions accompanied by live music and led by trained music specialists.

The choir will provide a safe, inclusive, and uplifting space where participants can engage in joyful musical activity, build social connections, and experience the therapeutic benefits of singing together.

The Octagon Memory Choir aims to enhance emotional, cognitive, and social wellbeing, reduce isolation, and offer meaningful respite for carers. Singing and music offer powerful benefits for both mental and physical health, boosting wellbeing and lifting spirits. Beyond the joy of shared musical moments, singing creates a sense of community, helping to reduce loneliness among older adults. For those living with dementia, music can gently unlock memories, ease anxiety, and foster meaningful connection.

This project has been made possible thanks to funding received from Arts Council England, Somerset Council, Norman Family Charitable Trust, and Music for All. The Octagon Theatre is committed to extending the impact of and improving access to arts and culture regionally. Through our Arts Engagement & Outreach programme we enable more opportunities for communities to watch, take part and benefit from arts and cultural activities, including a programme of education, community, and health and wellbeing projects such as the Octagon Memory Choir.

Katherine Beverley, Arts Engagement & Outreach Manager for The Octagon Theatre and Westlands Entertainment Venue, said: “The unanimous support we have already received for the Octagon Memory Choir is testament of the desire and will from the community for projects which support people’s health and wellbeing, and in this instance, people living with dementia or memory challenges. Somerset has a growing population, with many people living longer, we want to ensure the residents we seek to serve live healthier happier lives, hence why developing opportunities to contribute to building positive mental & physical health in Somerset is an important part of our work and focus. We are looking forward to this next chapter as we introduce our Octagon Memory Choir, bringing people together through music and creating a network of support for people living with dementia, their families and carers.”

Caroline Barnes, Creative Health Coordinator at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said, “To be able to offer tangible practical support in the form of a choir for people living with dementia will be so positive & impactful for people in Somerset.”

Starting on 30th January 2026, Octagon Memory Choir will take place weekly at Westlands Entertainment Venue on Fridays from 11am – 12:30pm. Each week the session starts with time to settle and chat over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits, followed by an hour of singing. No singing experience needed. Thanks to funding the project is subsidised to allow participants to pay a suggested donation per week, with carers and family members welcome to attend free of charge. You can book online, or just turn up.

To find out more, head to www.westlandsyeovil.co.uk/whats-on/all-shows/octagon-memory-choir.

This scheme has been made possible thanks to the Octagon Theatre becoming an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) and being awarded an investment of £760,000 to support arts and cultural activities in Somerset from 2023-2026. The NPO investment supports our Arts Engagement & Outreach team to develop and deliver programmes and activities that benefit health and wellbeing, enrich learning and education in and outside school and inspire and celebrate talent, creating work that will support local artists and tell “local stories”. Our work seeks to improve inclusion and remove barriers, whatever they may be, so that everyone is able to enjoy and benefit from the creative arts.