Ages and Stages: the place of theatre in the lives of older people

Abstract

Despite the growing interest amongst gerontologists and literary and cultural scholars alike, in arts participation, ageing and the artistic outputs of older people, comparatively little attention has yet been paid to theatre and drama. Likewise, community or participatory theatre has long been used to address issues affecting marginalised or excluded groups, but it is a presently under-utilised medium for exploring ageing or for conveying positive messages about growing older. This paper seeks to address this lack of attention through a detailed case study of the place of one particular theatre -the Victoria/New Victoria Theatre in North Staffordshire, England -in the lives of older people. It provides an overview of the interdisciplinary Ages and Stages project, which brought together social gerontologists, humanities scholars, psychologists, anthropologists and theatre practitioners, and presents findings from: the archival and empirical work exploring the theatre's pioneering social documentaries and its archive; individual/couple and group interviews with older people involved with the theatre (as audience members, volunteers, employees and sources); and ethnographic data gathered throughout the study. The findings reaffirm the continuing need to challenge stereotypes that the capacity for creativity and participation in later life unavoidably and inevitably declines; show how participation in creative and voluntary activities shapes meanings associated with key life transitions such as bereavement and retirement; and emphasise the positive role that theatre and drama can play as a medium for the inclusion of both older and younger people.

Life-crossroads on stage: integrating life review and drama therapy for older adults

“…Drama therapy techniques fortify this social process and enrich it with unique advantages. The ability to be part of a creative group, in which each member has his/her own unique and essential role in a dramatic creation, strengthens the individual's sense of relevance and the involvement of the elders in their own community (Bernard et al, 2015). The process of playing a role in the dramatic picture of the personal stories of others requires an emotional, cognitive, and behavioral understanding of the other (Kellermann, 1994).…”

“…A search for prior studies in the area of drama therapy for the elderly yielded a very limited number of studies (Beard, 2012;Mechaeil, Graybow, & Cobham, 2010;Peleg, Lev-Wiesel, & Yaniv, 2014;Reinstein, 2002). The few studies that were found indicated that drama is a significant therapeutic tool in itself, allowing an elderly person to feel creative, spontaneous, and spiritual À feelings that constitute a significant resource when addressing the challenges posed by old age (Bernard et al, 2015;CastoraBinkley, Noelker, Prohaska, & Satariano, 2010;Noice, Noice, & Kramer, 2014.…”

Start making sense: Art informing health psychology

“…In the area of health humanities, virtually all conceivable art genres are relevant. In this article, we focus on four genres, given the body of empirical knowledge: novels, films, paintings and music (opera, theatre and poems are excluded but see Bernard et al (2015) , and Seymour and Murray (2016)) .…”

Ageing, Drama, and Creativity: Translating Research Into Practice

“…Overall, the findings of existing literature, including the New Dynamics of Ageing programme, broadly resonate with those of our own 'Ages and Stages' projects (Bernard et al, 2015), and have underpinned our curriculum development activities. These findings include:…”