What if the art of the possible begins with a question?

CADA Director Farrell Renowden reflects on the RUPT programme. 3-4 minutes read

In January 2024, CADA began with just that, a question for ourselves and the wider field of creative ageing: why are there still so many under-represented/ served older creatives and communities?  

Despite all our collective efforts over many years, the dial just isn’t turning fast enough when it comes to increasing the representation of those who experience barriers to creativity due to age/ ethnicity/disability/class.  So what is the art of the possible?  

A year ago, we took the bold step to recruit a small group of experts by experience with the specific remit of disRUPTing the status quo. Enter our RUPT Associates, four formidable creative practitioners with lived experience of age/ethnicity/disability/class barriers to explore the art of the possible and help us dream the ‘new possible’. 

The RUPTees began this journey by co-creating an ‘Immersive Gathering’ in partnership with the Whitworth, and Artivists Group, fellow champions of the cause. Our ‘Passion and Practice’ event in July 2024, invited colleagues and creatives to join us in exploring ‘Radical Creative Ageing’. As Stella Duffy said in our first Radical Creative Ageing Fanzine, ‘Creativity is thinking by doing, together’, and as Dominic Campbell said in our second Fanzine, ‘Radical is something that makes your heartbeat faster’, our event had big ambitions, and we learned a huge amount. 

For me, two key moments continue to take up space in my mind: 

The first, was the real (and emotional) push back during the event, about the idea of ‘celebrating our ageing’ and the sense that, not only was it not possible, but it was, in some ways ‘tone deaf’ in the current climate. The idea that ‘ageing’ (that we are all doing, every second) is an inevitable decline, to be feared, with no potential for celebration, has stayed with me. You see, what this event achieved was deep, complex, honest conversations… the RUPT created the conditions for discord, and it was…challenging. I’m still reflecting on this complex discussion on the day, but recognising our own internalised barriers, is a good place to start. 

The second (of many) stand out moments, was a recurring discussion about how people felt that ageism was impacting the number opportunities for older creatives and communities to develop. Delegates described the acute undertone that if you haven’t found your creative passion or ‘made it’ by the time you’re 30 then you’re not worth investing in… that innovation is reserved for the young. So many of the internships, mentoring, coaching, and funding opportunities that seek to make positive action to increase representation are reserved for those aged under 30 years old. As the RUPTee’s describe it in their collective poem:  

“We are all far too beautiful to be told who can and who can’t make and participate in what is an innate human endeavour” 

These are just two examples of how the RUPT have challenged me to think deeply about internal and systemic ageism playing a role in under-representation, but this is just the start- we’ve been awarded funding to co-create a new ‘Manifesto for Change’, so watch this space!  

If, as our RUPT suggest, the art of the possible begins with a question, then what is your question for 2025? if you would benefit from reimagining ‘creativity’ and ageing’ and the work of our incredible RUPT Associates, then get in touch using our new ‘partnerships’ email.