Connect and reflect: Creative aging and older men

A short note on the Arts Council meeting on 8th July 26.

My interest in attending this meeting was twofold, one to look at how we could attract more older men into contemporary dance as those few that come often only stay over one block of classes and secondly find out how other groups are set up and supported to engage older men.

The first presentation was from the Baring Foundation which protects and advances human rights and promotes inclusion. They are involved in promoting mental health in men through different aspects of art and cultural programmes across all ages including theatre, music and art.

The second presentation was from the Balbir Singh Dance Company, looking factors that influence men including connection, culture, social dynamics. There was some thoughts about chronic pain and thinking creatively to how this is expressed and approaches included connections with nature and diversity.

The third presentation was from Michelle Kindleysides Head of Health & Wellbeing at Beamish Museum and Dr Jayne Wallace, Northumbria University School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries. They had an intergenerational creative research project working with engaging men with brain changes, dementia , strokes and head injury that was also supported by occupational therapists and other agencies. The focus was on supporting men and developing social networks and expression.

The forth project was Blind Tiger’s founder Mike McGrother who helped established a male choir on Teeside and told of his initial difficulties in attracting men to come a check it out. It started to take off when he offered to by drinks for men coming to have a look at the project. Through resilience and word of mouth this has expanded to over 120 people regularly attending and is now a recognised choir. They have a focus on the history and the men who worked in that area.

A lot of the work being done about older men appears to be getting men into supportive activities, that facilitates developing new skills, support, better mental health and a forum to talk about bloke issues. In respect to TBD and difficulty reaching older men and engaging/retaining them in the dance group there were no great insights as to how it may help. It may be possible to offer taster days but how we could bring this to our wider community is still open!

Mick Loughran