Research on ageing – what’s arts and creativity got to do with it?

Thursday 13 October 2016, The Playhouse, Derry/Londonderry

On his second visit to The Playhouse, Dominic Campbell facilitated a one-day workshop to consider how artists and researchers can collaborate to explore the changing nature of an older society, and the shifts in meaning and experiences of being older.

Researchers and artists were invited to to talk about their work, and the discussion sessions focused on the following issues:

• What collaborations between artist and researchers exist? What is being learnt from them?
• Where are the gaps and opportunities for collaborations between artists and researchers?
• Many arts organisations are familiar with evaluation but are often not actively involved in research. How could such an involvement be beneficial? What might it achieve?
• What benefits for the population at large might develop from effective collaboration?

Speakers included:

• Matt Jennings, Ulster University
• Sinead Devine, Reading Rooms, Verbal Arts Centre
• Sorcha Shanahan, Big Telly Theatre Company
• Paula Devine, The Lively Project, Queen’s University Belfast
• Zoe Seaton, Big Telly Theatre Company
• Claire McCauley, Reminiscence Project, Ulster University
• Paul Kane, Over the Hill, Oh Yeah Centre
• Roberta Bacic, Conflict Textiles
• Jenny Elliott, Arts Care

Lunch was accompanied by the Ukulele Orchestra, based in the Playhouse.