Editorial

Citation

Klee, D. (2014), "Editorial", Working with Older People, Vol. 18 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-11-2013-0029

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Working with Older People, Volume 18, Issue 1.

Our guest editorial by Amanda Waring, an actress with an impressive career in stage, film, television and radio, sets the scene beautifully for this special themed issue of Working with Older People – Creativity, The Arts and Older People.

I enjoyed reading the submissions for this issue and hope that you will too. Clair Chapwell's Bring on the Health Economists, gives a refreshing look at how we sell the impact of participative arts on older people to potential funders. She urges us to use hard and objective data to demonstrate how engagement in participative arts can improve health and well-being, by reducing the cost of antidepressants and hospital visits. Her case study reinforces the evidence that those working in the field witness. The words of Sam, “I wish I had walked into this room 20 years ago. I can’t believe what I have become, how good life is”, are to me equally powerful in demonstrating outcomes. This issue is full of similar stories of success.

Daniel Baker paints a wonderful picture of community arts projects. I particularly liked his description of a community mural created by elders in Philadelphia called, Holding grandmother's quilt.’ It is a mural of an older woman known in the area for her quilt making. The mural depicts the quilt maker at work; it stretches across two sides of a park and is held at the other end by children – a passing on of wisdom and knowledge. Baker argues that older people are at risk of becoming invisible in communities, but through involvement in public art they can make a valuable and visible contribution to community life.

Jemma Bicknell uses a case study of a dance-theatre production by older people to demonstrate how participation in dance promotes good health and well-being. The group of older people that she works with have diverse body and movement ranges which need to be taken into account. Their previous experience is also wide, from no experience, to the interesting story of one lady aged 82, who was in the UK's first black ballet company in the 1950s. Bicknell describes the challenges of working with this diverse group – the need to take artistic risks, and what they achieved, including a changed personal and public perception of them as people.

I am pleased that we have a contribution from Japan. Inger Bachmann, describes an intergenerational reading project in Tokyo. She introduces us to a very descriptive term for an older person's state of health, Boke. Boke, she tells us is the result of inactivity and a lack of mental stimulation. The REPRINTS network in Tokyo encourages older to participate in community life by telling stories to children. It is an acronym, but Bachmann gives the delightful comparison to the reprinting of an old book that has become forgotten.

Susan Ridley continues the theme of intergenerational activity. She uses mirrors as a way of young and old reflecting upon their sense of self. The different perspectives from young people in adolescence to people nearing the end of their life is interesting and there are some themes picked up by both generations.

Stephen Weeks our book review editor has aptly reviewed a book on music therapy for this issue. His review is candid, as always and if it does not tempt our readers to order the book, then maybe it will inspire one of them to write a book on this topic.

I have enjoyed collecting contributions for this themed issue and feel inspired by the wonderful projects and stories involving older people in participatory arts. Let us hope that by collecting stories and evidence of improvements in health and well-being that the benefits will be more widely accepted and the funding that is needed will follow.

Deborah Klèe