Programs for people with dementia at the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg / Germany


The first concept for a guided tour for people with dementia in the Lehmbruck Museum was developed in 2006. The first tour took place in January 2007 and since then these tours are part of the museums regular program. Thus, the Lehmbruck Museum was the first Museum across Europe with an art reception which is geared towards the potentials and special needs of visitors with dementia. From 2012 to 2015 the Research Project "Development of a model for social participation of people with dementia in museums” run by the Medical School in Hamburg (MSH) in cooperation with the Lehmbruck Museum investigated the methodology and didactics of art reception for visitors with dementia. The outcome was published. The result was a training program for art educators which helped to set up programs in many art museums in Germany.


visdit of the exhibition
Visit of the exhibition “Wiebke Siem”. Photo: Michael Uhlmann


The program of the Lehmbruck Museum includes different formats for the target group: Regular public guided tours who essentially aim at visitors who still live in their own homes, tours for groups which are freely bookable at any time and the OPEN STUDIO for couples of any constellation that provides practical artistic work. The guided tours focus on art reception and usually don´t include any practical artistic work. The art reception relates to the senses and appeals to the resources of people with dementia. Art educators connect with the experiences and interests of the visitors make them curious and encourage them to discover art in their own way.

The OPEN STUDIO is a place where the participants – people with dementia and their professional or family caregivers or friends- can work freely individually and artistically. There is enough time and space for the experience of free artistic work with a variety of materials. It takes place every two weeks and is part of the MA & A project.


Open Studio
The OPEN STUDIO. Photo: Michael Hagedorn


All offers are aimed at people with all forms and stages of dementia, their family members and professional caregivers, both living in their own home as well as in a nursing home.

Under the leadership of the Lehmbruck Museum the museums of the region “RuhrKunstMuseen” have joined forces in a network since 2013. According to the concept of the MSH study, they offer special sensory-oriented tours for people with dementia. The project “RuhrKunstMuseen sinnnlich erleben” gives particular importance to the exchange and close cooperation of the museum with the social partner in the respective city. It is part of the national dementia strategy “Alliance for People with Dementia” started by the German government in partnership with the German Alzheimer Association.

The Lehmbruck Museum offers tailored training programs and supervisions for museums and art educators.

Last modified: Thursday, 18 May 2017, 3:35 PM