Sounding out the past with MAHE
ELCHE archaeology and history museum (MAHE) is hosting workshops for people with functional diversity.
Councillor for culture Marga Antón visited beneficiaries of the Elche association for familes of people with Alzheimer’s (AFAE) as they were participating in activities.
The objective of ‘Pasado sonoro’ (sound past) initiative is to encourage social participation in inclusive processes, and to enhance sensory, creative and motivational development.
Accompanied by MAHE director Miguel Pérez, the councillor visited the sensory experimentation workshop, which is taking place in the museum.
The initiative will continue to run for different groups of people with functional diversity living within the city.
Pasado Sonoro takes people on a ‘tour of the history of the area from the perspective of sound’.
Participants touch, manipulate and listen to sounds from the historic periods covered by the museum.
“In this way, the senses and mind are tested through a game requiring the identification of sounds, textures and shapes. In addition, participants have the opportunity to learn about the origin of musical instruments and what other functions they have besides making music, as well as discovering the trades and goods of Neolithic, Iberian, Roman and Medieval Islamic cultures in Elche,” explained the director.
“Our commitment involves adapting the activity to the levels and characteristics of each of the groups that visit us. To do this we worked with (group) coordinators prior to the visits and managed to focus specifically on each group,” he added.
“Both at the sensory level and musical stimulation level, cognitively the workshops can stimulate the abilities of people affected by Alzheimer's who participate in the activity,” said AFAE therapeutic coordinator Laura Parres.
“People who have taken part in this workshop have a light or moderate form of the illness, our idea is to try to get people in a more advanced state to participate,” she added.