Older and Wiser? New report

Older and Wiser? New report considers growth and opportunities for the creative ageing sector

 

King’s College London would like to thank you for your contribution to the report ‘Older and Wiser? Creative Ageing in the UK 2010-19’.

We are delighted that the report (written by Dr Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt, Research Fellow at King’s College London and commissioned by The Baring Foundation) has now been launched. Youcan view a digital version of the report online.

Between 2010 and 2019, The Baring Foundation dedicated its arts funding to participatory activities involving older people. The report provides an overview of the ways in which the field has developed during this period. ‘Older and wiser?’ is intended as a useful document for the creative ageing sector, its leadership and its funders, with the hope that it will be instrumental in inspiring and enabling older people to get creative.

We would be very grateful if you could help King’s and The Baring Foundation to raise awareness of the report through your digital and social channels.

Older and Wiser? Creative Ageing in the UK 2010-19

Overview

A new report Older and wiser? Creative Ageing in the UK 2010-19 reviews the development of the creative ageing sector over the past decade, examining how far has it come and considering where it should go next. The report was written by King’s College London and was commissioned by The Baring Foundation.

Between 2010 and 2019, The Baring Foundation dedicated its arts funding to participatory activities involving older people. The report provides an overview of the ways in which the field has developed during this period. ‘Older and wiser?’ is intended as a useful document for the creative ageing sector, its leadership and its funders, with the hope that it is instrumental in inspiring and enabling older people to get creative.

This report demonstrates King’s College London’s integrated arts, health and wellbeing strategy in action. Older and Wiser? also follows on from the Creative Health report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health & Wellbeing, for which King’s was research partner.

Key findings from Older and wiser? Creative Ageing in the UK 2010-19

1.      The creative ageing sector is flourishing, with many high-quality programmes springing up around the country over the past decade. Training for artists and care workers has received a boost; there are now excellent resources available to inspire and guide, and spaces to meet and share ideas. The idea of ageing creatively become more widely accepted among arts organisations, funders and the general public.

2.      There is more to be done to ‘normalise the role of the arts in the lives of older people’. This will require a concerted effort on the part of funders, politicians, policymakers and national arts bodies to sustain and develop the excellent work currently underway.

3.      There is a strong need for the sector to reach out to older people who are not already engaged with the arts and to extend its reach further in terms of gender, class, ethnicity and sexuality.