Connecting through culture as we age is a co-produced research project that explores how and why we take part in arts and culture as we get older. The aim of the project is to increase participation in social, digital and cultural life and to improve the quality of life for older populations, particularly those that are disabled, and/or racially or socio-economically minoritised.
The project arose as a response to four issues that impact the wellbeing of older people:
• digital exclusion and social isolation arts and cultural participation dropping dramatically in older populations, particularly amongst disabled, and racially and socioeconomically minoritised people
• inequalities relating to accessibility and content of digital arts and cultural provision
• the need to put older people at the centre of the design of services, technologies, products and experiences.
At the centre of the project is an inclusive digital innovation process that aims to put the voices, lived experiences and expertise of older people at the heart of the design process. Working alongside older adults who play an active role in the project as ‘co-researchers’, the project will foster cross sectoral collaborations in designing new products, services and experiences for older people, while supporting creative industries to grow and better understand diverse older adults.