Guest Post: Ageing Under the Spotlight in the UK

"Because I think that as you do get older, if you don’t have a manageable challenge … you’re not developing yourself anymore, and I think that’s one of the things that the theatre does, not just for the young people but for us.  It’s still developing us, and that’s what’s so great.’" 

- Audio describer and Audience member

By: Michelle Rickett
Research Associate for the 'Ages and Stages' Project

What contribution do - and could - older people make to theatre? How are ageing and later life represented on stage? Can theatre and drama be used to promote understanding, communication and creativity between different generations? These are some of the questions asked by the Ages and Stages project, based in North Staffordshire in the UK, and funded by the New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) programme.

The project is a partnership between Keele University and the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The location for our research is the Potteries, North Staffordshire: an area with a long history of heavy industry (ceramics, coal and steel) that, over the past fifty years, has undergone considerable social and economic change and decline. Local cultural institutions have both reflected and reconstructed these changes. In particular, the New Vic Theatre (formerly the Victoria Theatre) pioneered a distinctive form of ‘social documentary theatre’ under artistic director Peter Cheeseman. The documentaries, produced between 1964 and 1994, charted social, economic and political change in the Potteries, and drew from the testimony of local people. Part of our research involved exploring historical representations of older people and ageing within these documentaries, using materials in the Victoria Theatre Archive. Then, turning our attention to contemporary representations and recollections, we interviewed 95 older people who are/have been associated with the theatre as: actors/employees; volunteers; long standing audience members; sources for the original documentaries. Finally, we drew our research data together to create a new documentary performance, titled Our Age, Our Stage, which explores ageing, intergenerational relations and the role the theatre has played – and continues to play – in the creative life of the people of North Staffordshire. This was acted by an intergenerational group, including members of the New Vic Youth Theatre and older people who had been interviewed for our research. Our Age, Our Stage was toured around local venues, including schools, a retirement village and local council, and finally performed at the New Vic Theatre to a capacity audience of 500 people in July 2012.

#CreativeAging

Image courtesy of Stockvault.net

If you could pick up a pen, what would you draw? If you could dip a brush into a can of paint, what would your canvas display? If you could grab a pile of clay, what would you mold?

Making something from nothing. That’s the idea of being an artist: the ability to create just about anything, from anything. You possess the freedom of expression, and how you choose to display it is up to you. But it’s not the only way to be creative.

Take 51-year-old Andrew Witten for example. Although he may be considered to be at a stereotypical time in his life where he may be “vulnerable” to experiencing a “mid-life crisis,” Witten walks to the beat of a different drum. What kind of beat you may ask? A creative one.

Although he is a single father, reports The Huffington Post’s article, 1970s NY Graffiti Artists Still Have Urge To Tag, he enjoys delving into an “old” pastime of his: graffiti. And although he admits to The Post that he is “chronologically old to be out there doing it,” his passion has always been “spray-painting extravagant graffiti pieces.” Now, resorting to a black marker in hand, he leaves his signature wherever he gets the opportunity to do so.

It’s a little unorthodox, but what it means is that it doesn’t matter how you go about being creative, what matters is that you find a way to do it. Although we aren’t condoning you to run around the city and mark up the walls… seeing as there could be a penalty to face if you were caught; what matter’s is that you find something that you get a thrill for doing.

The days of youth are not behind you, they are merely waiting for you to start expressing yourself creatively again. Whether it’s changing your look, drawing a picture, seeing the world, or writing something, as long as you are engaged, your message will find a way to get through.

If you’re passionate about aging creatively, tweet #creativeaging and tell us how you plan to do it. Follow us here: www.twitter.com/serclab

There is a lot to Celebrate on October 1, 2012

“Canada’s seniors dedicated their lives to our country — they deserve our thanks as they continue to be influential mentors and leaders in our communities.”  

- Alice Wong, MP

At 23-years-old, I fight an internal battle and force myself to go for a run. At 102-years-old, Margaret Dunning of Michigan jumps at the opportunity to change the oil on her 1930 Packard 740 Roadster. Torontonian Ida Herbert, 96, rises at 5:30 a.m. every morning to perform her regular routine of yoga poses. Is there a problem with this picture? Yes. I clearly need to readjust my attitude.

Every day we rise to a new occasion, to another day, to another challenge. But this October 1^st brings something new to celebrate: National Seniors Day and International Day of Older Adults. A day for all Canadians to honour, appreciate and celebrate those individuals 65+. The Government of Canada states that the “establishment of National Seniors Day builds on the many concrete measures introduced by the Government to improve the well-being and quality of life of Canada’s seniors.”

To help acknowledge and celebrate this day, CARP, the advocacy association that works to promote and protect the interests, rights and quality of life for Canadians as they age, will be raising their flag at Toronto City Hall.

So, what will you do to commemorate this day? Will you call up your grandmother or reach out to an older, but wiser, family friend? Maybe engage in an activity of your mom or dad’s choosing. Or, celebrate the comfort of knowing you are altogether and reminisce on what times were once like to the way they are today. There is much to be thankful for, and it can be recognized in more ways than one!

Chronicles of Future's Past

Art is a form of expression. It doesn’t matter what form it takes (painting, sculpture, photography, etc.) or the level of expertise an individual has. What’s most important is the feeling that emanates from the design, what the artist wants you to feel.

According to Dale Chihuly, an internationally renowned glass artist and creator of the program ‘Seniors Making Art’, “Anyone can make art as long as one has imagination and life experiences to draw on. Making art is not about craftsmanship, it has to do with feelings and memories.” Does that sound familiar? It’s probably because I already mentioned the importance of expressing emotion through art in a previous post.

The population of aging adults is growing steadily and will be the largest generation by 2030. Staying engaged in every day activity, and with the many world changes is important. It helps build and maintain relationships while preserving a social atmosphere. Engaging in artistic frameworks (whether it’s woodworking, painting, sculpting, or sketching) keeps your mind and body active. Even better, you can participate in the activity with friends.    

And we want to help inspire you! The Sheridan Elder Research Centre proudly presents a unique exhibition of Jerry Friedman’s photographs of earth’s oldest people – supercentenarians, individual’s ages 110+.  The show, which has been exhibited in Tokyo, Amsterdam, Washington, and Boston, and in New York City at the United Nations, will be held on display at the Sheridan College Gallery in Oakville from September 21 – October 5, 2012. This Sheridan exhibition marks the first time these fascinating photographs have been shown in Canada. 

Gallery hours are Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

So come out and explore! Bring family and friends to see the beautiful photographs of these supercentenarians that will live on in Friedman’s work. 

What defines the word "old"?

“Creative Aging is about possibilities, freeing ourselves of limiting beliefs about aging and embracing the reality that individuals continue to grow, learn and contribute to their communities throughout the life journey.”

-President’s Creative Challenge 2012/2013 - Sheridan College

Is age really just a number? Do we define our fate? Is our ability to complete a task, any kind of task, all in our head? Are we really our own worst enemy? These questions, along with many more, are being asked every day in our community. We are aging, and we are living longer. And as a result, we are constantly trying to find the answers as to why we are able to, and how we can continue to do so.

When you think of getting older, what do you picture? Finally being able to get your drivers license? Voting? Moving off to college or university? Getting married? Getting that promotion you always wanted? Retiring, then travelling the world? Or, sitting with family and reminiscing about when you were younger? Getting older brings us to events in our lives that wouldn’t necessarily be attainable unless we turned a significant age. And when we do reach that phase that marks our ability to participate in a task we were unable to do so before, we feel a sense of accomplishment. Yes, I did it!

Every second I write this post I am aging, every second you read it you are too. But there are some who are already at a significant age that suddenly has the world on its feet asking, “What are we going to do next?” According to Statistics Canada, “seniors are already the fastest-growing age group in Canada and by 2051, one-quarter of the population will be part of the 65+ club.”

And as a result, The Globe and Mail reports, that many people are starting to answer that question:

“Researchers in engineering and occupational therapy are teaming up to create senior-friendly vehicle designs so older Canadians can safely enjoy the independence of driving later in life. A pathology and molecular medicine expert is studying how eating probiotics can work as a defense against respiratory infections -- a leading cause of death among seniors. A nursing professor is testing the effectiveness of a program that would teach seniors with diabetes how to self-manage their disease.”

Sheridan College is also doing it’s own part by introducing the President’s Creative Challenge 2012-13. This “provides a unique opportunity for Sheridan students, faculty, staff, administrators as well as external business/community representatives to examine this demographic shift through a creative lens.”

Sheridan wants to invite one and all to connect, get involved and propose innovative ideas and solutions to Creative Aging: Designing Communities for all Ages. Sheridan wants you to revolutionize and create, and express what you think will make a “fundamental change in society.” If you are a student, you can submit a project idea. Members of the community can participate by being mentors to these students.

Find out more information by clicking HERE, or like us on Facebook. 

Google Something... Anything

If you haven’t already heard it before, I will kindly remind you once again, using the Internet benefits your brain for the long haul. It’s actually been said that doing an Internet search stimulates aging brains even more than reading a book. Just ask Jean Carper, award-winning medical journalist and the author of 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s.

Carper’s research lead her to Gary Small, MD, director of the UCLA Center on Aging, who said, “Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function.” See? I told you so. Small, using MRI scans, measured the intensity of activity in the brains of middle-aged and older adults while they searched something on the Internet. 

He discovered that activity picks up dramatically in the brains of experienced surfers – mainly in regions related to decision-making and complex reasoning, which are not stimulated simply by reading. And, as an added bonus, the MRIs showed that the more frequent Internet user had twice as much brain activity than beginners.

What’s even more jaw dropping? “Small found that people ages 55 to 78 who rarely used the Internet previously were able to trigger these key centers in the brain after only one week of surfing the Web for an hour each day.” One reason as to why perusing the Web may be so beneficial, is because of the multiple decisions you are forced to make with the click of your mouse to get to the root of the information you are looking for. With this constant decision making process, we engage important cognitive circuits in our brain, giving ourselves a mental workout!

Mental exercise, like physical exercise, appears to strengthen your brain’s resistance to mental decline and Alzheimer’s, writes Carper. And our world is full of technology that encourages us to do this without realizing it because it’s fun, engaging and you can challenge yourself without breaking a sweat!

A great way to stimulate your brain is to play quick “brain games” that can be found online, such as Posit Science. Here, they offer the 60-Second Brain Game, the Brain Speed Test, the Word List Recall and more. Posit Science not only offers a Total Training Package, but also offers Brain Training products that focus on enhancing different parts of your brain, such as auditory or visual.

Does this peak your interest? Want to check it out? Well SERC is more than happy to announce that you can experience it in person! Come out and participate in our free eight-week computer-based brain-training program at the Iroquois Branch of the Oakville Public Library. For more information as to how you can join please click on our flyer below. More locations to be announced soon!

And remember, it’s never too late to start browsing the web – happy surfing!