Inverness College students showcase work of Highland Hospice
DRAMA students at Inverness College UHI have teamed up with Highland Hospice to offer insight into the patient experience of palliative care.
Third year BA (Hons) drama and performance students performed Homeward Bound, a 30-minute play charting one couple’s experience of end-of-life care, after being approached by the hospice.
Officials at the hospice were keen to see live drama used as an educational tool to help improve the quality of palliative care and the experience of those involved.
The play was performed to staff and nursing and care students at the college, with hospice representatives providing commentary to provide context and insight into the experience.
It proved such a useful educational tool, the drama students have been asked to perform the play again at the NHS Highland/Highland Hospice Essentials in Palliative Care Conference at Eden Court in Inverness, on March 12-13, where it will be filmed to be used in learning.
Lesley Mickel, programme leader for the drama course, said: “We were delighted to work with Highland Hospice to develop this special performance, which really highlights the human impact of late diagnosis and the importance of quality palliative care.
“It was not only a challenge for our students in terms of portraying these very raw, human emotions, it also proved an extremely useful educational tool for students studying other parts of the university curriculum, with our nursing and care students gaining a much greater understanding of the issues involved.”
Hospice learning and development practice lead Siobhan Neylon said: “It was such an honour to work with these wonderful students on this poignant and emotive drama.
“They portrayed the characters in such a dignified way.”
Homeward Bound was written by playwright Brian Daniels and tells the true story of Lesley and her husband Seth Goodburn, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 49. He died just 33 days after diagnosis.
