Welcome to our Blog page. Here you will find an inspiration of ideas and instances of good practise to help you to bring creativity into the lives of older people. We are always looking for new blogs which we also share on our social media. If you have an idea, a scheme, or anything you'd like to tell our membership about, then email as at hello@ageofcreativity.co.uk
Description: Beth has developed a 30 minute chat session for older people who have limited access to technology this year. Find out how it works.
Date: 07/12/2020 Category: Theatre
Description: Pete Hill tells of how his love of radio inspired him to create a weekly show for people with dementia which reaches 850,000 listeners weekly.
Date: 04/12/2020 Category: Dementia
Description: Nick has spent the past few years experimenting with composing bespoke, tailor made songs, about the individual and their life. At the heart of his practice lies the question of whether person-centred musical autobiographies can offset the most damaging impact of dementia: the loss of identity.
Date: 03/11/2020 Category: Music
Description: Medley is a new initiative exploring music, art and nature's many impacts on health and wellbeing. Initially the focus is the website and blog https://medley.live, aiming to build awareness and to highlight different issues.
Date: 03/11/2020 Category: Combined
Description: After reading this Blog on birthday cards you'll think twice about buying those 'humorous' cards poking fun at getting older.
Date: 14/10/2020 Category: Combined
Description: Age UK Gloucestershire has been busy building its repertoire of on-line activities recently...including a disco.
Date: 14/10/2020 Category: Age Uk
Description: Imagination Arts were able to move 4 out of its 6 Movement to Music classes for over 60s online, with the majority of its participants continuing to take part in the weekly classes. Find out how they did it.
Date: 25/08/2020 Category: Dance
Description: This is a fascinating to read how one branch of Age UK responded to the lockdown during the pandemic. To download the Home Exercise pack go to http://festival.ageofcreativity.co.uk/downloads/
Date: 18/06/2020 Category: Age Uk
Description: Penny reflects I on the question, since lockdown...how has the role of creativity changed in the Age sector?
Date: 21/05/2020 Category: Combined
Description: Flora tells us how since lockdown, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is finding new ways to engage with older adults across Lewisham previously involved in our Inspired not Tired programme via dance classes, singing and movement groups and various other creative projects.
Date: 21/05/2020 Category: Dance
Description: Nicky Taylor of Leeds Playhouse reports on working remotely with people with dementia during lockdown Britain.
Date: 19/05/2020 Category: Theatre
Description: Elizabeth Brooke gives an Australian perspective
Date: 07/05/2020 Category: Digital
Description: Melissa explains the benefits of creative therapy courses she runs at Nottingham Playhouse
Date: 04/05/2020 Category: Theatre
Description: Read how Roundabout offers professional, effective and creative dramatherapy sessions in care homes. It uses different creative media and techniques including: art images, collage work, music and movement, poetry, traditional folk tales, story creating and telling, reminiscence, puppets, props and costumes
Date: 03/03/2020 Category: Theatre
Description: Meet Chris Beck who has been performing in care homes for the past 12 years. He strongly believes music and song is a powerful and tuneful tonic that can ease the feeling of isolation, initiate interaction, create fun and laughter and improve health and well-being.
Date: 27/02/2020 Category: Music
Description: Becky tells of an extraordinary find that has led to her developing 'toolkit' of ideas for creative sessions for groups exploring the stories and memories of older people. I hope to reconnect people with the value of journal writing as a regular practice which has proven benefits for health and wellbeing.
Date: 17/02/2020 Category: Combined
Description: Stephen Moore tells us about introducing a ukulele and the positive effects it has achieved.
Date: 10/12/2019 Category: Music
Description: Maggie Sanderson tells how an innovative, creative group for Carers in Hereford has increased wellbeing and in those for whom they care
Date: 09/12/2019 Category: Care
Description: Nakib Narat's passion for the Chorlton Good Neighbour's Drama Workshops he leads is inspirational. Now in its 2nd year it has over 100 attendees and performed several times for the public.
Date: 02/10/2019 Category: Theatre
Description: Dr Donnellan offers an insight into a new project which aims to design, deliver and evaluate an individual music listening intervention for older adults living with dementia and their carers.
Date: 26/09/2019 Category: Dementia
Description: In 2016 Landermeads Care Home worked with the University of Nottingham on their research project, 'Soundtrack to My Life'. The motive was to investigate the effect that music has on those living with a dementia in a care home setting. This is the story of how it integrated the findings into every day activities.
Date: 25/09/2019 Category: Health
Description: Intergenerational Music Making (IMM), one of the UK's pioneers of intergenerational music projects, was born from Charlotte Miller's passion of working as a music therapist with the elderly and the very young in a variety of different settings.
Date: 18/09/2019 Category: Intergenerational
Description: Read Fiona Pritchard's Blog on her role as Music and Arts Partner across 21 care homes in the south of England.
Date: 04/09/2019 Category: Care
Description: A group of nine people living with dementia, supported by dementia advocates from the Beth Johnson Foundation in Stoke-on-Trent, worked alongside artists in a series of arts workshops to find ways to represent and depict their experiences of the condition in a comic format.
Date: 02/09/2019 Category: Dementia
Description: Alison Ward's Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship meant a to visit Denmark to learn about the different ways that they work creatively with people with dementia. She spent time at a school for dementia where they have developed classes which are specifically aimed at supporting people with dementia, who attend the school as students. They participate in a range of different classes, including, cognitive training, music and art therapy plus physical exercise.
Date: 12/08/2019 Category: Combined
Description: Award-winning Richard enthuses about creating new empowering stories which have many benefits for our 21st century communities.
Date: 30/07/2019 Category: Theatre
Description: This is the inspiring story of one young woman with a career in Occupational Therapy and two young children, who experienced mental health issues and went on to launch the successful Aspire Creating Communities project in Huddersfield. The older people in her groups never quite know what to expect - it could be local artists, storytellers, musicians, historians, or inter-generational sessions with local schools and The Prince's Trust young adults, the one thing they know is that they'll have fun.
Date: 28/06/2019 Category: Combined
Description: Zoe Dunbar explores social isolation in the older Manchester Chinese community
Date: 10/06/2019 Category: Combined
Description: 'When I was little' is a free activity for children aged three - seven to enjoy with their grandparents or older relatives at National Museums Liverpool museums and galleries. The activities are designed to allow children and older people to experience the museum together, explore museum objects and share stories and memories.
Date: 22/05/2019 Category: Intergenerational
Description: It's week two and we've been blown away with the number of Festival events this year and the level of engagement we've had on social media. Not only have we connected with events from across the county, but I feel as though I've really got a flavour of the type of work so many of you are doing both in person and online.
Date: 20/05/2019 Category: Festival
Description: Intergenerational Music Making (IMM) was created to bring about positive social change for local communities and especially those suffering with Dementia. IMM brings together local schools, care homes, colleges and universities to create exciting and meaningful music therapy projects to improve well-being, mental health, tackle loneliness and help integrate local communities.
Date: 13/05/2019 Category: Intergenerational
Description: As we move into the second week of the Age of Creativity Festival 2019, our Festival Manager reflects back on some of the highlights so far from week one.
Date: 09/05/2019 Category: Festival
Description: Enhancing health, wellbeing and quality of life for all? Cindy Brooks reflects on the role of artistic practices in society
Date: 30/04/2019 Category: Combined
Description: Moving Memory Dance Theatre Company working with older dancers for some time. Here Sian Stevenson talks about its latest venture into Intergenerational projects.
Date: 30/04/2019 Category: Intergenerational
Description: Groups from EngAge Rotherham, part of Age UK, worked with AoC and 64 million artists to create our Age of Creativity May Daily Challenge. Ian Choke remains convinced of the importance of groups like this and the volunteers who lead them with love and creativity.
Date: 30/04/2019 Category: Visual Arts
Description: Cubitt Artists run a community studios scheme in which artists are able to develop sensitive, responsive relationships with older people on a one-to-one basis. Plans often change as artists collaborate with participants, producing the unexpected.
Date: 23/04/2019 Category: Visual Arts
Description: Marian delivers a thoughtful piece on how dance helps older people and the important factors that need to be considered.
Date: 06/02/2019 Category: Dance
Description: Lisa Shaw explains how Carmen Miranda fever sealed the success of the University of Liverpool's project.
Date: 04/02/2019 Category: Combined
Description: Natalie Walton, Learning and Outreach Manager, Arts Council Collection, National Partners Programme, looks at ways of attracting the over 75s into our museums
Date: 13/12/2018 Category: Museums
Description: After almost 8 years teaching pottery to the 65+ Emily decided to put on her first collaborative exhibition of four of her regular groups to celebrate their work and the stories behind what they make
Date: 03/12/2018 Category: Visual Arts
Description: Dr Jude Bek, Research Associate in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester details the beneficial effects of dance for people with Parkinson's, including reports of improvements in movement, mood and even thinking skills.
Date: 03/12/2018 Category: Dance
Description: Andrew Ward of Essex CC, explains how Creative Journeys, an innovative and exciting project exploring the role of arts and culture in care settings, supports and maintains relationships between older people, care staff and the wider community.
Date: 06/09/2018 Category: Combined
Description: Deborah Mason of Magic Me on the value of intergenerational work to older people and the community.
Date: 17/08/2018 Category: Combined
Description: Make it better (mitber) use a person centred approach, responding to individual cultural interests, to enable people to feel more confident by engaging in chosen activities, new or familiar in different ways.
Date: 20/07/2018 Category: Visual Arts
Description: Age is no barrier to the Digital Arts says Kate Duncan of City Arts Nottingham.
Date: 12/07/2018 Category: General
Description: Open Arms Artists' Collectivem in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire, is committed to working creatively with older people.
Date: 12/07/2018 Category: General
Description: Creative Minds enjoy making art with older people with learning difficulties at Chiswick Care Home
Date: 19/06/2018 Category: Visual Arts
Description: Creative Minds Social Enterprise Community, our aims are to make art accessible to all and through the art give everyone a voice; a chance to express themselves
Date: 19/06/2018 Category: Visual Arts
Description: A celebration of creativity in dementia and the community launches this month. Kate Parkin from creative ageing charity Equal Arts talks about how Creative Age Challenge is making difference to participants and cultural venues.
Date: 14/06/2018 Category: Combined
Description: Observations in Nature is a photography and book-making project for people living with dementia
Date: 13/06/2018 Category: General
Description: Rachael Dinnage tells her work at Central & Cecil Central & Cecil Housing Trust where there is a special focus on the benefits the arts can bring to later life.
Date: 13/06/2018 Category: Museums
Description: Joie de Vivre - A celebration of dance for, by and with older people, a day at Pavillion Dance South West Bournemouth written by Lisa Lort & Emilie Barton
Date: 30/05/2018 Category: Dance
Description: Isla Telford reflects on the 4th Live Age Festival at the New Vic Theatre and 1st October at Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
Date: 30/05/2018 Category: Theatre
Description: Sing for Better Health organises singing groups in the Brighton & Hove area. Here Udita Everett explains what the organisation does and the benefits it can bring.
Date: 27/03/2018 Category: Music
Description: Living the Drama offers interesting insights from its experience of taking theatre into Care Homes.
Date: 12/09/2017 Category: Theatre
Description: David Cutler, Director of the Baring Foundation, gives an insight into how far this nation has come in creative ageing, siting successful examples from around the country. His conclusion is that we have come a long way but that we have unfinished business.
Date: 11/08/2017 Category: Combined
Description: Emily Hall is an experienced ceramicist. Here she tells of her experience of working with people with dementia in a care home setting.
Date: 30/03/2017 Category: Visual Arts
Description: Read Flintlock Theatre's experience of creating verbatim theatre with older people at its heart.
Date: 22/03/2017 Category: Theatre
Description: Heather Thomas, of Art in Mind, has been running art classes for people with dementia and their carers for many years. Here she tells of the joy and benefits it has brought.
Date: 14/03/2017 Category: Visual Arts
Description: Paul Cann, a former Chief Executive of Age UK Oxfordshire, waxes lyrical about the need for social prescribing
Date: 14/03/2017 Category: General
Description: Museums in Singapore found it difficult to overcome barriers to attendance experienced by older people and their carers. Sharon Chen tells how they found inspiration from a talk given by Wendy Gallagher from the Whitworth Arts Gallery.
Date: 04/11/2016 Category: Museums
Description: Sian Stevenson, Director of Moving Memory Dance Theatre Company, has created a very successful dance company of older women which has performed from London to Paris. Here she reveals her and their motivation.
Date: 29/09/2016 Category: Dance
Description: Jason Danley, of Brookes University, has spent time in Japan finding out how its long tradition of cultural and artistic appreciation underwrites the vigour in which its post-retirement population pursue their creative interests.
Date: 22/09/2016 Category: General
Description: Fiona Hamilton uses many techniques to get the creative juices flowing in her sessions. Here she reveals some that might inspire you.
Date: 19/09/2016 Category: Literature
Description: Chloe Hughes, of Cornwall Museums Partnership, explains how three museums worked collaboratively with artists, using their collections as inspiration to create opportunities for older people to be inspired.
Date: 12/09/2016 Category: Museums
Description: James Cropper, founder of Arts and Minds, tells of the profound effect opening the Appleby Tate Art gallery at Appleby House Care Home has had.
Date: 10/08/2016 Category: Visual Arts
Description: Fergus Early gives a brief history of Green Candle Dance Company and a few things he has observed and absorbed about working with people living with dementia.
Date: 07/07/2016 Category: Dance
Description: Stuart Cox, of Jackson's had no experience of running arts participation groups for older people so he started talking to them and found that 'fun' was the element they most needed.
Date: 03/06/2016 Category: Public Health
Description: Tea and music sessions held in elderly care wards in a Salisbury Hospital have shown patients reporting physical, cognitive, social and emotional benefits and staff often stating feelings of wellbeing and uplift whilst working during these sessions. Rebecca Seymour, Elevate Co-ordinator, tells all.
Date: 12/05/2016 Category: Music
