Population ageing is one of the most significant demographic and social trends of the 21st century, affecting nearly all the countries in the world. Increasing life expectancy is indeed a remarkable achievement of development and health care. However, it also poses obvious challenges. Older people are coming to represent a proportionately larger share of the total population, presenting social, economic and cultural challenges to individuals, families, public welfare systems and societies. The Age on stage project aims at using theatre arts, as a tool to combat social exclusion and isolation as well as stimulating active citizen participation among elderly people and make them feel part of an inclusive Europe. The Age on stage project has the objective to develop a Theatre pathway focused on life Stories of seniors participants. Theatre Lab project will introduce acting and presentation skills to help older people shape their memories into stories culminating in a public performance for peers and others in the community. Trainers will encourage participants to recall sometimes rare memories stirred by a common item, such as a thimble, or a question such as “Can you describe the first kitchen you ever remember eating in ? Do you remember the first time you used remote control for television ? The Activities of the project are: 1. Development of a common theatre pathway to involve elderly and help them to exit isolation, exclusion and feeling active citizens again. Result: an attractive and professional theatre art pathway. 2. pathway into a virtual dedicated web portal, which will include the curriculum, graphics and videos, interactive material, games, and a dedicated chat rooms for participants to exchange ideas and practices. Result:interactive web portal 4. Short staff training to train trainers on the use of the web portal in connection with the pathway: Result: certification of skills and competences acquired. 5. Piloting the curriculum with seniors in France Italy, Spain, UK, Poland. Result: final piloting report 6. Learning activity for seniors Learning activity for seniors to make them acquired with the Web portal. 7. Writing of a pièce called “life stories” Performed by the elderly Result: Life stories performance 8. Dissemination activities - the project will be disseminated by using the web site, the brochures and dissemination meetings in each country. Results: dedicated web site, logo, information brochures, local dissemination conferences 9. Evaluation and quality control. Evaluation and quality control: following the evaluation strategy the project will be monitored and controlled to see that results and activities are developed. Result: evaluation reports. 10. Drowning of a dedicated logo and web site Target groups are: • elderly people living alone, isolated and excluded, or living in care houses. The project aims at reaching more than 60 people during its lifetimein each country. • educators who will benefit from new and dynamic training materials with a proven track record and the transfer of these materials. The project aims at reaching more or less 100 educators along the project. • public organisation: they may deliver the pathway for edelry people living in their communities. Throughout the lifetime of the project 50 educators across 5 countries will be directly exposed to these techniques through their practical application. This is likely to impact on more than 500 elderly. The products will be distributed to over 300 organisations through web sites and various partner networks.
Le projet Age on stage a pour objectif de développer un parcours théâtral axé sur les histoires de vie des seniors. Le projet a introduit des outils pour développer des compétences d'acteur et de présentation pour aider les personnes âgées à transformer leurs souvenirs en histoires aboutissant à une représentation publique pour les pairs et d'autres membres de la communauté. Les formateurs ont encouragé les participants à se rappeler des souvenirs parfois rares suscités par un élément commun. Dans l'ensemble, nous avons constaté que le projet Age on stage a permis d’utiliser les arts du théâtre comme un processus de motivation pour aider à réduire et à prévenir l'exclusion sociale et l'isolement. Cela a également permis de stimuler les citoyens actifs et la participation des personnes âgées, afin de les faire sentir et devenir une partie active d'une Europe plus inclusive. L'utilisation du théâtre pour les aînés a contribué à augmenter l'acuité mentale et à améliorer les relations des personnes âgées avec ceux qui les entourent, à renforcer leur estime de soi et à rassembler les communautés grâce au plaisir du théâtre.
Le vieillissement de la population est l'une des tendances démographiques et sociales les plus importantes du 21e siècle, affectant presque tous les pays du monde. L'augmentation de l'espérance de vie est en effet une réalisation remarquable du développement et des soins de santé. Cependant, cela pose également des défis évidents. Les personnes âgées en viennent à représenter une part proportionnellement plus importante de la population totale, ce qui pose des défis sociaux, économiques et culturels aux individus, aux familles, aux systèmes de protection sociale et aux sociétés. Le projet Age on stage vise à utiliser les arts du théâtre comme outil de lutte contre l'exclusion sociale et l'isolement, ainsi qu'à stimuler la participation active des citoyens parmi les personnes âgées et à leur donner le sentiment de faire partie d'une Europe inclusive.