Today, on 1st October is the UN International Day of Older Persons, so it's great to have such positive news about new developments in this area.
The Baring Foundation is backing the creation of an agency that will advocate for and support the cultural sector to be more age friendly. Since 2010, the Baring Foundation has dedicated its arts funding to work with older people. David Cutler, Director of the Baring Foundation said:
“The Baring Foundation is coming to the end of a ten year programme of funding creative ageing across the UK . We are delighted to award the consortium led by Manchester Museums £250k to advocate for the development of this work, in particular emphasising its importance to English policy makers and funders. The record of Manchester for many years in engaging the arts to make it age friendly makes it the ideal place to take this work forward”
Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester, is the lead organisation in collaboration with the Whitworth, Manchester Art Gallery and GMCA (Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the ten GM councils and the mayor). MICRA (The Manchester Institute for Collaborative research on Ageing) is also supporting the programme. The partners have an internationally recognised track record in leading innovative age friendly practice, adopting a citizen-based approach which champions agency, active participation and work led by older people across the arts.
The opportunity to be creative and to experience arts and culture is a right at any age. The Agency will investigate the profound shifts needed to tackle ageism and create sustainable age friendly culture and communities. It will act as an advocate to funders and policy makers. It will also connect people and organisations leading age friendly culture across England and beyond.
In its first year, The Agency will initiate a major investigation into diversity, age and the cultural sector. Older people will lead decisions and identify priorities for the Agency. It will recruit partners nationally and internationally to lead lines of investigation, events and campaigns.
Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum and GM Ageing Hub Strategic Lead for Culture said: “It’s time to build momentum and for imaginative, brave thinking and action if we are going to address ageism and realise the potential of a creative ageing society. I’d encourage those who share this ambition - arts organisations, cultural leaders, policy makers, academics, artists and investors – to step up and get involved.”
To register your interest in learning more about The Agency, please email emma.horridge@manchester.ac.uk
£38-50k pa + excellent benefits Two-year, fixed-term contract
Cardiff
Are you a dynamic, influential and collaborative individual with a proven track record in supporting the development and delivery of ambitious and fast paced programmes. Do you have a passion for practical innovation and improving public services?
If so, Nesta is looking for a Programme Manager to join our Y Lab team, where you will also work closely with our national People Powered Results team to deliver an innovation programme that embeds Arts into the Health and Care system in Wales. Full details are HERE. Closing date: 16th October (8:00am).
First interviews will be held on 25th October.
Classphemy
An extraordinary exhibition is currently being held at the Royal Exchange Theatre. It’s called Classphemey and connects the poetry of Tina Cribbin and images by Abi Finch. Tina explores her experiences of living in Hulme and in collaboration with many people who live in her community, was a driving force behind the Can You Hear Us From Up Here? - work last year. Here’s a small extract from a poem, and a work illustrated by Abi Finch below.
A reminder I still exist.
In a world of invisibility where the likes of us
The side-lined see-through creatures
Are mere shadows on the streets of austerity
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a fact sheet on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being in the WHO European Region, ahead of the launch of the Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report on arts and health on 11 November. The report represents the most comprehensive evidence review of arts and health to date. It maps the global academic literature on this subject in both English and Russian and references over 900 publications, including 200 reviews covering over 3,000 further studies. Download the fact sheet below.
Public Health Panorama, WHO/Europe’s journal, will also dedicate a special issue to arts and health in the WHO European Region in early 2020. The journal has put out a call for papers, underlining WHO/Europe’s growing engagement with the positive associations between the arts, health and well-being. The deadline for submission is 21 October 2019. Click this LINK above or email eupanorama@who.int for more information. Click on the diagram below to see a 'factsheet' if you're into fact sheets.
If fact sheets aren't your thing here's a lovely jargon-free song. Enjoy...
Thanks to everyone who has sent thoughts/feelings/aspiration after Yardsticks & Dreamscapes. Much more on that soon...
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