Oasis Magazine - Cairns & Tropical North Queensland Issue 21 - Dec|Jan 2018 | Page 24

Located within the Centre of Contemporary Arts Cairns at 96 Abbott Street. Look for the Giant Jelly Babies! www.kickarts.org.au Who’s Kickin’… AT KicKarts! MEET KICKARTS ART AND DEMENTIA TOUR FACILITATOR ANNA CROOKS! Anna Crooks is a Creative Arts Therapist based in Cairns. With a Masters in Creative Arts Therapy from RMIT University, Anna has delivered meaningful arts engagement opportunities to at risk communities for over 15 years. Having completed training with Adriane Boag from the National Gallery of Australia, Anna now facilitates specialised gallery tours for people living with Dementia at KickArts. This non-medical therapy model sees participants gain meaningful health, wellbeing and social outcomes. Anna’s delivery of the KickArts program provides a unique opportunity for her as a facilitator in actively providing participants with a place to develop a voice and explain what is happening to them, in addition to reminiscing on the past. For Anna, nothing beats the genuine sense of enjoyment expressed by participants undertaking their monthly art chats.