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International Creative Ageing Summit
Paradigm Shift: Advancing the Cultural Rights of Older People
A Free, Virtual Convening on June 6 and 7, 2023
The 3rd annual International Creative Ageing Summit will channel the collective energy of more than 250 arts and aging leaders from around the globe towards an investigation of the profound shifts needed — individually and collectively — to champion and adequately invest in older adults’ creativity and cultural agency.
Through facilitated conversations and peer-to-peer exchange, this dynamic and collegial convening will connect you to a worldwide network of colleagues working in diverse communities and sectors to advance creative ageing. The Summit is designed for those who develop, deliver, and/or support arts programs by, with, and for older people including professionals from the social and aging services, and the technology, education, cultural, heritage, housing, and health sectors.
Hosted by a different country each year, the 2023 Summit is organized by Lifetime Arts (United States) in collaboration with Creative Ageing Development Agency (CADA) in England and Armas-festival, City of Helsinki, and Koy Kaapelitalo in Finland.
There is no charge to participate in the summit, but space is limited. Early registration is encouraged. All presentations and discussions will be delivered in English and include closed captioning and audio descriptions.
To sign up for the conference visit https://www.lifetimearts.org/icas-2023/
Farewell from Virginia Tandy
Dr Virginia Tandy OBE completes her work at CADA in mid April and offers the following observations on her three years work:
‘I was thrilled to be appointed as the founding director in 2020. Developing CADA over the last three years from a great idea into an independent charity championing creative ageing across England, has been an amazing experience for me. Work on creating CADA started just before the pandemic hit the UK, but despite this we managed to do the groundwork, informed by a range of older people and practitioners, creating national and international relationships and events and commissioning insightful research.
The Manchester Museum, which is part of the University of Manchester and a member of the Manchester Museums Partnership, working with the Ageing Hub at Greater Manchester Combined Authority, secured the seed funding for CADA from the Baring Foundation in 2019. I’m grateful to all the brilliant people that I have worked with, especially Paul McGarry and Phil Cave who have chaired the Board and the Advisory Group and to Esme Ward at Manchester Museum, which was our generous host in CADA’s formative years.
I couldn’t have got CADA this far without the support of all the Board and Advisory Group members and the generosity of colleagues working in the sector across the world. We have also benefitted from valuable financial support from Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Arts Council England.
CADA’s creation is timely. The 2021 census revealed that there are now more people in the UK over 65 than under 15. This demographic change requires us all to adjust to becoming an ageing society and respond to the needs and opportunities that later life presents. Creative ageing, at its best, offers agency, purpose, skills development and social connection. It recognises and respects the value of art with the experience of age and can be a vehicle for activism, challenging ageism and amplifying the voice of older people.
The pandemic, which disproportionately affected older people, demonstrated the value of creativity to people of all ages. As we learn to live with the virus and navigate the current cost of living crisis, opportunities for creativity that recognise the diversity of experience of later life are needed more than ever. As the proportion of older people in the population increases, the cultural sector has to embrace this approach to secure its future resilience and relevance.
With luck, we will all live long active lives and we should expect to be able to end our days as creative citizens. Creative ageing is about the quality of life for older people now and the quality of all our futures. I am delighted that CADA, led by my successor, Farrell Renowden and the Board of trustees will be shaping the next chapter of this important work working alongside practitioners and informed by the diverse lived experience and creative ambition of older people.’
CADA Appoints New Trustees
We are delighted to announce three newly appointed trustees for CADA, the Creative Ageing Development Agency: David Slater, Arti Prashar OBE and Elizabeth Lynch MBE. They bring with them a wealth of experience in the field at a significant time as CADA celebrates its first three fantastic years of operation and looks ahead to its next phase. Working with a new incoming Director, Farrell Renowden, the Board of Trustees will continue building on CADA’s commitment to championing creative ageing.
The three new trustees will work alongside existing Board members Paul McGarry, Phil Cave, Sarah Roper and Esme Ward.
The current Chair of CADA’s Board Paul McGarry said “This is an incredibly exciting time to join the organisation. With the continuing support of the Baring Foundation, CADA has exciting plans to consolidate its national and international work to date and begin our next chapter as an independent charity. The new Trustees will be an asset to the CADA Board, and we are pleased to welcome them.”
CADA Announces New Director
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Farrell Renowden to Director of CADA (Creative Ageing Development Agency). Farrell is currently Head of Cultural Partnerships and Age of Creativity Festival Director at Age UK Oxfordshire. She brings to the role a wealth of experience of work with older people and a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. She says, “I am extremely excited to join CADA in May and to continue the remarkable work of CADA that Virginia has developed over the last three years”.
CADA Board Chair Paul McGarry says “After a thorough recruitment process, the trustees are delighted to announce the appointment of Farrell from May 2023. This year with the continuing support of the Baring Foundation, CADA has exciting plans to consolidate its national and international work to date and begin our next chapter as an independent charity. We look forward to working with Farrell and on behalf of the CADA Board members, I wish her a warm welcome.
Virginia Tandy OBE steps down to return to her work as an independent arts and heritage consultant.
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Creative Ageing Development Ltd working as CADA the Creative Ageing Development Agency a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales No 13863570. Registered office 200 Drake St, Rochdale OL16 1PJ. Charity number 1200477
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