The creative ageing sector is flourishing, but there is more to do, King’s College London report finds

We are delighted to see the publication today of Older and Wiser? Creative ageing 2010-2019 by King’s College London.

Researched by Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt, Older and Wiser? 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.

We are pleased to report that there is much to celebrate!

• This review reveals a flourishing sector, with many high-quality programmes having sprung up all the country over the past decade. From choirs to crafts, theatre to salsa, many more people are taking up creative pursuits in later life.
• Training for artists and care workers has received a boost, and there are now excellent resources to inspire and guide practitioners, as well as spaces to meet and share ideas.
• And the idea of ageing creatively become more widely accepted among arts organisations, care organisations, funders and the general public.

However, there is of course more to be done, as Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt says, 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 now happening.

The report underlines the particular 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.

This report was commissioned by the Baring Foundation after ten years of funding in this sector prior to moving to a new funding theme of Arts & Mental Health in 2020.

We hope this report will be a useful document for the leadership of the creative ageing sector and for funders.