MOST of us enjoy the opportunity to appreciate the world beyond our day-to-day existence – whether this is a visit to the theatre to see a play or a pantomime, or to catch a movie at our local cinema. It could equally be enjoying a spot of music at a concert venue or marvelling at works of art in an art gallery or museum exhibition.

But for the 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia enjoying the arts can be an incredible challenge. Issues such as finding it difficult to get around a venue or responding to a performance or installation in an unexpected way or struggling to follow a complex story, can all be effects of the condition, making it difficult for those diagnosed with dementia to enjoy the arts in the same way.

For one theatre company, telling the story of those diagnosed with dementia and encouraging venues to make their shows fully accessible has become a five year mission culminating in a show at Theatr Clwyd later this month which comes after an incredible 200 performances worldwide seen by more than 23,000 people.

"This will be the last time this show will tour the UK and Mold is our very last stop," says Vamos Theatre's artistic director, Rachael Savage, whose award winning production Finding Joy visits Theatr Clwyd on November 29.

"We've toured this particular show from China to Norway to Prague so for many reasons this show is a very exciting one."

Vamos Theatre is the UK's leading full mask theatre company, taking their funny and fearless brand of wordless theatre across the length and breadth of the country and beyond since 2006.

"Mask acting in many ways is no different from naturalistic acting," explains Rachael. "You have to combine method acting - if you're crying you'll be crying behind the mask - but I tell actors it's 75% naturalistic and 25% mask technique.

"It's about stillness, clarity of thought and an internal monologue. People think you don't have to learn a script if you're wearing a mask but you do because that script going on in your head is what the audience interpret.

"Quite often when audiences arrive, they're like 'oh my goodness, what is this?' but within in a couple of minutes they're laughing."

Finding Joy tells the story of Joy, who is 83. She is funny, loves to dance, and is losing her memory. Her grandson Danny is rebellious, bright and always getting into trouble. When Danny decides to look after Joy, they discover a shared playfulness and mutual affection. But is that enough to take on the challenges ahead?

Rachael sought out a real-life experience as her inspiration for Finding Joy when she was approached by The Courtyard Theatre, Hereford to co-create a show about dementia. Keen to find a story that went beyond the dementia diagnosis she found the true story of a young carer and his unconventional approach to looking after his grandmother.

"After six month's research I thought I'd made a huge mistake because all the novels, films and documentaries I could find about dementia were negative," she says. "I wanted to celebrate life and find a way to find the joy in the person with the condition and I was lucky to find an old family friend who'd been looking after her mum, Audrey, with dementia for seven years.

"I literally moved in with them and sat and wrote, asked questions and watched everything from how they got up in the morning to how they went to bed and the way they interacted.

"My friend's son decided he wanted to help his mum as a carer and after a couple of day's training he was absolutely incredible because he wasn't a saint - he was good fun.

"I remember once he came to pick her up with his mates and they had their hoods up so Audrey did too and they found it hilarious. They adored her."

Part of Vamos Theatre’s mission is to encourage empathy and understanding through the power of full mask theatre, and it’s clear that the show has an enormous impact on audiences, who consistently express how the show has changed how they relate to people living with dementia.

"We never use the phrase 'suffering with dementia' because for us it is about 'living with dementia," adds Rachael.

"We say to venues that theatres need to be the new churches and community centres where everyone needs to feel welcome. If people can come to a venue and think 'this place is dementia friendly' and has its arms open wide to the community we will keep people in our theatres.

"We train staff in a workshop which is all about communicating clearly without words and the ability to emphasise with someone with dementia and our actors go out into the audience and break down the wall by chatting to them and making them feel welcome and happy to be there.The doors are left open, the lights are on low and people can come and go if they please.

"Reading the comments that come through after a show or training workshop; it’s the emails, tweets and website comments that make long working weeks worthwhile."

Finding Joy is at Theatr Clwyd on Thursday, November 29 2018. Tickets from £10 from www.theatrclwyd.com / Box Office: 01352 701521.