Arts and older people conference

Age Cymru is working with Arts Council of Wales to organise the 'Arts and older people conference' on 6 April 2017.

The day will be of use to people working with older people and interested in finding out how the arts can help achieve outcomes towards ageing well, tackling loneliness and isolation and making Wales an age friendly nation. 

‘Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be' (Robert Browning)

How can arts activities support the creation of age friendly communities?

How can creativity help older people to live well and enjoy later life?

This interactive and engaging session will examine the role of the arts in creating age friendly communities and the contribution of creative activity in supporting older people to maintain their independence. It will demonstrate how effective arts activity can help achieve improved well-being; mitigating isolation and loneliness in older people and contributing to the outcomes sought through the Social Services and Well-being Act.

Organised by Arts Council of Wales in association with Age Cymru and with support from the Baring Foundation.

Who is this conference for?

• Policy makers with responsibility for healthy and active ageing programmes
• People and organisations working within local authority Ageing Well plans
• Health and social care professionals working with older people
• People working in arts and culture interested in working with older people
• Older people and community groups who want to share their voices and experiences relating to Age Friendly and arts programmes

Speakers and breakout sessions

Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure.

Panel discussion with representation from the Baring Foundation, Arts Council of Wales, Age Cymru and the Older People's Commissioner for Wales. Chaired by Paul Cann (previously Chief Executive of Age UK Oxfordshire and founding member of the Campaign to End Loneliness)

Case studies presentations from organisations across Wales using arts and creative activity to help make Wales an age friendly nation.

Performances from Dawns i Bawb, Music in Hospitals and Entelechy Arts

There will be breakout sessions:

• Arts and Dementia - including findings from the evaluation of Age Cymru's cARTrefu care home project, carried out by Bangor University Dementia Research Centre and research findings from Music in Hospitals on the benefits of music to people living with advanced stages of dementia
• Arts and healthy ageing - including lessons learnt from the Exercise Referral Scheme
• Engaging harder to reach older people
• Combating isolation and loneliness.

Location and tickets

The conference is being held at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on 6 April 2017. You can purchase tickets from the Arts Council of Wales website.