With rapid population ageing becoming a reality for many countries around the world, Japan is not alone in facing the many challenges it brings. One issue that has come to the fore is the involuntary isolation of older people, a matter further exacerbated by the pandemic.
The UK, like Japan, is seeing the proportion of its older population increase as birth rates fall. In response, museums, theatres, orchestras and other cultural and arts institutions have been delivering programmes aiming to improve the quality of life for older people including those with dementia for a good number of years. Even through the Covid-19 pandemic, these institutions have continued their efforts to connect with older people through a mix of digital and non-digital methods.
Positioned as a sequel to the forum delivered last year on the same topic, this forum will provide an overview of creative ageing in the UK and the latest programmes for older people being run by cultural and arts organisations across Japan and the UK. We will also look to the future and explore how arts and culture can approach the issue of isolation and support the wellbeing of the older people, in a post-pandemic world.
Event outline
Date & Time: Wednesday, 9 March 2022, 18:00-20:00 (JST) / 9:00-11:00 (GMT)
Venue: Online (Zoom - link will be sent to registered email address prior to the event)
Audience: Museum, theatre, orchestra and other cultural and arts professionals, welfare and medical professionals, researchers, etc.
Admission: Free (with simultaneous Japanese/English interpretation)
Organiser: British Council
To register: Please fill in the online registration form in advance.
Enquiries: Please contact the British Council at uk-event@britishcouncil.or.jp
*If you require any access support, please contact us using the online registration form by 23:59 on Sunday 27 February 2022.
Programme
1. Keynote Speech (pre-recording)
An Overview of Creative Ageing in England
Virginia Tandy (Director, Creative Ageing Development Agency)
2. Case studies from Japan and the UK & panel discussion
Catherine Cassidy (Director of Engagement, Scottish Ballet)
Lizzie Hoskin (Head of Community, Manchester Camerata)
Nicky Taylor (Theatre and Dementia Research Associate, Leeds Playhouse)
Sachiko Ukegawa (Associate Director, Production Department, Saitama Arts Theatre)
Moderator
Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto (Director of the Centre for Arts and Culture, NLI Research Institute)
Speaker Profile
Catherine Cassidy (Director of Engagement, Scottish Ballet)
Catherine Cassidy has over 20 years’ professional experience of using dance in a wide range of community settings, including health, education and reformation. In her 10 years as Director of Engagement at Scottish Ballet, Catherine led the company to become specialists in dance health. SB Health includes three projects for people living with neurological conditions, including Dance for Parkinson’s Scotland, dementia-friendly Time to Dance and Elevate for people living with multiple sclerosis. Other projects include dance projects exploring themes such as identity, diversity and LGBTQ, aiming to improve the wellbeing of young people. Catherine graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1998 and has worked both nationally and internationally as a choreographer, dance artist and producer. Catherine has undertaken the role of Specialist Advisor for organisations such as Arts Council England and Creative Scotland.
Lizzie Hoskin (Head of Community, Manchester Camerata)
Lizzie Hoskin started her role as Head of Community for Manchester Camerata in January 2020, having previously been a radio producer for national BBC daytime programmes for over 15 years. Since March 2020 and the pandemic, Lizzie has been working from home in Manchester but has been enjoying developing and producing online content for schools, older people and carers for people living with dementia. As Manchester Camerata is a registered Charity, Lizzie is in charge of fundraising to ensure the continuation of their work. In her spare time, she is also a volunteer producer of Music for Dementia, a UK-wide radio station aimed at people living with dementia.
Virginia Tandy (Director, Creative Ageing Development Agency)
Virginia Tandy OBE is the director of CADA, the new Creative Ageing Development Agency. The former Director of Manchester City Galleries (1998-2008) and Director of Culture for Manchester City Council (2008-2011), she was President of the Museums Association (2006-2008) and a trustee of the Heritage Lottery Fund (2009-2015). A board member of National Museums Liverpool and the Granada Foundation, she currently chairs Brighter Sound, a NW creative music charity and is a member of the Fabric Committee for St Paul’s Cathedral.
Nicky Taylor (Theatre and Dementia Research Associate, Leeds Playhouse)
Nicky is a specialist in theatre and dementia, leading ground-breaking creative ageing practice at Leeds Playhouse since 2005. She created the world’s first specifically adapted dementia friendly theatre performance, and subsequently authored a best-practice guide to staging dementia friendly productions, adopted industry-wide. She initiated and directed Every Third Minute, a pioneering theatre festival curated by people living with dementia, including plays co-authored by people with dementia and professional writing partners. She supports the theatre industry, nationally and internationally, to involve and value people with dementia as creative equals. Her study of creative co-production processes with people with dementia formed the basis of her PhD at Leeds Beckett University’s Centre for Dementia Research, where she is a Research Fellow. She is a Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute (Trinity College Dublin/ University of California San Francisco) and a Churchill Fellow. She has worked alongside older people in care, health, community and arts settings for over 25 years.
Sachiko Ukegawa (Associate Director, Production Department, Saitama Arts Theatre)
Sachiko Ukegawa completed dance studies (MA) at University of Surrey, UK & anthropology in dance (MA) at University of Tokyo. After joining the Saitama Arts Theatre in 2004, she had been involved mainly in dance productions of the theatre. Her commitment to dance ranges across varies levels of artistic engagement, from international productions working with the world’s leading choreographers to collaborations with local community. Since 2016, she has lead the arts programmes for older people at the theatre and showcased international practices with older people in the area of performing arts at “World Gold Theatre” in 2018 as a Programme Director. She is currently assisting the new Artistic Director of the theatre, who will take up his new post in April this year, in planning the programme under the new structure.
Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto (Director, Centre for Arts and Culture at NLI Research Institute)
Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto began his career as an architect in 1981 and he became a consultant and researcher in cultural fields in 1985. Since then, he has been engaged in international studies on cultural policy, research on creative city development, survey on Cultural Olympiad, master planning of cultural institutions, and consultation for public art projects. These latter include Tokyo Opera City, National Art Centre Tokyo and Tokyo International Forum, which rank among the top cultural developments over a couple of past decades in Japan. Currently, he is the Director of Association for Corporate Support for the Arts and a lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts. He has served as a member of Council for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Arts and Cultural Committee, Tokyo 2020 Culture and Education Committee, Trustee of International House, Council Board Member of Arts Council Tokyo and many others.
Zoom joining instructions
- The forum will be hosted on Zoom. Please ensure you have access to Zoom, and a stable internet connection.
- The Zoom link will be sent to the email address provided at the time of registration on or by 8 March 2022.
- Please refrain from making any visual or audio recordings of the event.