What is Familiar Ground?

A photographic storytelling exhibition in Brunswick, Melbourne that celebrates and raises awareness of people living with dementia in our community.

ABS data (2025) shows dementia is Australia’s leading cause of death - this exhibition is part of The Salvation Army’s local effort to build a more dementia‑friendly community. It invites people with dementia (and their loved ones) to share the places, moments, and memories that have shaped them — then turns those stories into a powerful public exhibition that builds empathy, understanding, and community pride.

Featured works

Featuring the work of Brunswick-based, internationally recognised documentary photographer Ilana Rose, Familiar Ground is supported by a community engagement grant from Dementia Australia.

Exhibition dates: 13-27 March 2027

Location: Salvation Army Brunswick

We're recruiting participants in Merri-bek

We're inviting people who live or work in the City of Merri-bek to participate in the exhibition by sharing your story - or the story of a loved one living with dementia.

We're particularly interested in hearing from:

• People living with young onset dementia (65 years or under)
• Carers, family members, and loved ones
• People from diverse communities, including LGBTQIA+ and ethnically diverse communities
• People who may feel isolated by dementia

Our goal is to represent the full community of people living with dementia and the people who support them.