Activities at Westvale House Care Home

We celebrated Last Night of the Proms virtually with members of English National Ballet’s Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Music Director Gavin Sutherland.

We listened and danced along as members of the orchestra took us on a magical, musical journey. English National Ballet Philharmonic is made up of many of the country’s top musicians, and boasts considerable experience in all forms of music-making. With insights and anecdotes into what it takes to conduct an orchestra for a world-class ballet company, this special concert got our feet tapping, arms waving and hearts singing!

It was a wonderful experience, enjoyed by all.

We had a lovely time joining Becca Clark and James Wylie – members of V&A Dundee’s exhibitions team – as they took us on a virtual tour of the museum’s incredible Scottish Design Galleries.

We were introduced to the wide range of unique objects at the galleries from architecture and engineering, jewellery and textiles to theatre and their fascinating stories.

And we were able to learn more about the importance of all objects in telling the rich and varied history of Scottish design.

It was a lovely talk, enjoyed by all.

We took a wonderful virtual trip to Iceland and visited the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary to have an inside look into the daily care of their two resident beluga whales: Little White and Little Grey.

Our residents were introduced to the history of the Beluga Whale Sanctuary and learnt more about its mission to provide a more natural home for belugas in human care with a first-hand look at how the dedicated team are not only caring for the whales, but preparing for their future in the sea sanctuary!

It was an enjoyable event for everyone, learning more about the amazing beluga whales and how they are cared for at the sanctuary.

To mark World Photography Day, staff and residents were treated to a live streaming photography masterclass courtesy of top professional photographer, Damian Bailey.

A professional photographer since 2003, Damian has won Wedding Photographer of the Year and is listed as one of London’s top wedding photographers, having photographed over 700 weddings.  Damian travels all over the country shooting weddings, events and families and loves to help people create memories by capturing wonderful images that will be passed on from generation to generation.

Damian’s talk explained how he goes about capturing special moments and what makes a great photo in terms of technique and composition.  From landscapes to portrait photos, Damian shared his hints and tips for getting the best shots whatever the subject matter.

We celebrated International Youth Day virtually with English National Ballet’s youth dance company, ENBYouthCo and their Creative Director, Richard Bermange.

We had the opportunity to watch A Comedy in Long-shot, participate in a chair-based creative dance workshop and observe an open rehearsal where Richard and the young dancers created a performance inspired by our childhood memories.

It was a wonderful experience, enjoyed by all.

We had a lovely time joining V&A Dundee curator, Kirsty Hassard, as she introduced us virtually to the history and design of night clubs and the club culture from the 1960s to present day.

We explored the evolution and development of night clubs around the world, from Italy to America, and closer to home, looked at their importance as cultural venues and designed spaces.

This current exhibition celebrates night clubs at a very important moment, as we all look to a brighter future where everyone can come back together, to dance and to enjoy nights out once again.

We all enjoyed the virtual talk.