A nursing home in England recreates famous album covers using its residents as models

The residents of one nursing home in England have turned into album cover stars.

Sydmar Lodge Care Home, located in Edgware, has been in lockdown since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic. So Robert Speker, the home’s activities coordinator, said he had to think out of the box to keep residents’ morale up.

He decided to do a photoshoot with the residents, where they recreated album covers of popular artists including Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Adele and Madonna.

“I have had the idea for a while and thought the residents would really enjoy the activity,” Speker told CNN.

Speker said his only aim was to show that care homes can be a place of joy instead of sadness, even during a pandemic. He wanted to create something that would bring a smile to someone’s face.

“I made the suggestions of which albums and which resident best suited the look, or had a vague similarity to the artist, then I proposed the idea to each resident,” he said.

He also took requests into account.

For example, Sheila, a 93-year-old resident, requested to do the cover of Rag’n’Bone Man’s album “Human,” since she had met the lead singer in person. The album next to her picture is a signed copy that belongs to her.

The residents were all happy to participate, even though they weren’t quite sure what the end product was going to be, Speker said.

He shared the project on Facebook on July 10.

“They all found it so amusing,” He said of the reaction of residents who took partook in project. “They loved seeing themselves and their fellow residents and were really having a good giggle over it, which was so lovely to see.”

After launching the photography project, he created a GoFundMe to help raise money for Dementia Friends UK.