'Creativity in Older Age Programme' launched

The Creativity in Older Age Programme has been designed to counteract the social side effects of the pandemic. It will begin immediately and will be rolled out over the next 18 months.

Modern Day Mummers in Leitrim and the publishing and recording of a 77 year old’s diary in Meath are among 25 creative projects for older people being supported around the country by a €500,000 investment in the Creative Ireland Programme.

The Department for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht's new 'Creativity in Older Age Programme' was launched this afternoon by Minister Catherine Martin.

The Creativity in Older Age Programme has been designed to counteract the social side effects of the pandemic. It will begin immediately and will be rolled out over the next 18 months.

“The effect of the pandemic on our older citizens has been devastating. Through necessity they have had to isolate themselves away from family and friends and in doing so have lost the social links that generate contentment, confidence and mental wellbeing. My department knows the arts and creative programmes can help to rebuild the social connections that have been lost,” the Monaghan-born Dublin-based Green Party representative said of the programme.

Other projects to be delivered include 'Age and Opportunity'- a series of creative residencies in six care settings around the country.

These creative residencies will last six months and will concentrate on dance, music and performance.

The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) will meanwile deliver a programme of projects designed to give meaning to the difficulties experienced by dying, death and bereavement. These will include the curation of a poetry collection 'By Your Side' that will assist with articulating feelings around dying, death and loss.

The Creative Ireland Programme will also support a research project with The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) to measure the effects of participation in social and creative activities on the health and wellbeing of adults aged 50+.

Elsewhere, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) will show 20 fully accessible short videos that will encourage the slow looking of their Collection.

Commenting on the participation of local authorities in Creative Ireland’s Positive Ageing and Creative Well Being Programme, Minister Martin added: “The enthusiasm and energy behind the projects that will be delivered by the local authorities is extraordinary. They are truly imaginative and are innately responsive to the needs of their community. I am delighted to be able to support such thoughtful and engaging projects for our older citizens.”

For more information on the Creative Ireland Programme Creativity in Older Age programme, please go to www.creativeireland.gov.ie.