The annual agreement was renewed this Monday at MACA with participation from Antonio Manresa, the Cultural Councilor, and from representatives of the Alicante Alzheimer’s Patients Association and the Manuel Peláez Foundation. Following the signing, the inaugural event centered on the figure of Eusebio Sempere, marking a meaningful start to the continued collaboration between these organizations and the museum.
Manresa emphasized that the program has strengthened MACA as an institution, thanks to the museum, weekly recommendations, and a safe space where participants can be themselves while revisiting memories as vividly as possible.
The Memories program, Art and Culture against Alzheimer’s, began in 2012 and stands as a pioneer initiative in the Valencian Community. Its mission is to involve people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers in a journey through art and culture, helping them rediscover imagination and creative potential. The program also addresses the need to bring cultural events to Alzheimer’s patients in and around Alicante.
MACA, accessible and safe space
MACA serves as a space managed by the Alicante Association of Family and Friends of Alzheimer’s Patients, offering access to art and culture, creativity, and a wide range of plastic activities for those living with the condition. The memories program has evolved into a benchmark and celebrates its eleventh edition this year, continuing to provide tools and artistic journeys that help participants reconnect with themselves and activate important life memories.
From a time perspective, it is noted that participants in the Memories program visit the museum far more often than the average culture enthusiast. Art and the emotions it elicits become meaningful without pharmacological interventions, with art helping to shape a narrative that places the person with Alzheimer’s at the center of the activity.
Activity schedule
The eleventh edition is organized into several sections, featuring six sessions drawn from six works across three permanent MACA collections: the 20th Century Art Collection, the Mediterranean Foundation Collection, and the Eusebio Sempere Collection. Through the activities, participants engage in dialogue and share experiences related to art, while engaging in creative processes designed to evoke memories.
The program structuring includes two main activities per session: a MACA visit to meet unique artists and a follow up at the AFA headquarters in Alicante. In addition to exploring the collections, participants respond with thoughts, conversations, and art-based activities that explore feelings and emotions. A subsequent event in the same month at the AFA headquarters provides a working session that revisits memories during the museum visit. Materials are provided in a box, including a notebook with pictures and prompts to recall past experiences and evoke present emotions through the works of the featured artists. The recommendations serve as guidance for AFA professionals in Alicante to develop creative activities.
First session
During the opening session at the museum, the centennial anniversary of Eusebio Sempere was commemorated. His life and work were introduced through a biographical overview that created a foundation for knowledge, learning, and storytelling about aspects of Sempere himself. The inclusion of major works from the artist’s career, paired with biographical context and contemporary dance, created a synergy that offered participants an emotionally resonant learning experience. This approach prioritized memory points and respected cultural heritage as a meaningful touchstone in the participants’ lives.