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A little update on our International Curiosity Box experiment.

After meeting people from around the world at the ADI conference in Lyon, we asked some of our new contacts to help us with something we simply can't do ourselves: look at our first selection of objects through their own cultural lens.

We've just received some lovely feedback from our contacts in Greece.

All of the objects were considered culturally appropriate, but one observation particularly interested us. The carved wooden animal has details that are more familiar within Chinese culture, yet this didn't prevent it from being considered suitable in Greece.

That's exactly the sort of thing we're hoping to explore.

What would go in your curiosity box to encourage nostalgia?

One of the ideas we're beginning to explore is how familiarity, recognition and connection might look in different cultures and communities around the world.

Our current Curiosity Box was designed in the UK, using everyday objects that many older people here would recognise from earlier in life. But what feels familiar in Kent may be very different from what feels familiar in Adelaide, Mumbai, Hong Kong or Toronto.

So we'd love to hear from you.

If you were creating a curiosity box for someone in your part of the world, what would you include?

It could be anything:

People often think our Curiosity Box is a memory box.

The truth is, it was specifically designed not to be one.

Something I learnt from my dad's dementia journey is that nostalgia and memory are not the same thing, and we design for nostalgia.

A familiar object can evoke recognition, belonging, curiosity and connection, whether or not a specific memory emerges.

In our latest blog,https://www.timelesspresents.com/post/more-than-a-memory-box-why-nostalgia-is-not-the-same-as-memory I explore why memory should not be the price of admission to engagement and connection, and why familiar objects may matter for reasons beyond the memories they unlock.

Welcome to the group!

This is a space for all carers, professionals, researchers and advocates interested in connection and engagement in dementia.

This group exists to share practical ideas, observations and experiences that help us better understand the lived experience of dementia, recognise opportunities for connection, and continue the conversation beyond any single event, organisation or perspective.

We welcome different viewpoints and believe that understanding grows through conversation. By sharing what we observe, question and learn, we can deepen our understanding together and support one another in our respective journeys.