The Creative Age – Join Us for a Celebration of Creativity and Brain Health

In this perspective, Atlantic Fellow Karin Diamond reflects on The Creative Age, an event celebrating the creativity of older adults around the world and its vital role in promoting brain health and well-being.

I’m delighted to invite you to The Creative Age, an online event celebrating the creativity of older adults from around the world. This event, held on 1 October 2024 in honour of the UN’s International Day of Older Persons, brings together diverse communities through dance, storytelling, and music—while showcasing the crucial link between creativity and brain health.

How Creativity Supports Brain Health

The Creative Age highlights the vital role creativity plays in brain health, from enhancing cognitive function to reducing stress and fostering emotional resilience. Whether through dance, song, or storytelling, creative activities improve motor skills, coordination, and problem-solving abilities. They also foster social connections, which help combat isolation - key factors in maintaining mental wellbeing. By providing a sense of purpose and joy, creativity enhances quality of life and offers vital benefits for brain health at any age.

During rehearsals, a participant living with dementia shared a powerful reflection that shows just how deeply creativity can touch lives:

• "Thank goodness, through the arts, I’ve been given the chance to be part of this. Some nights, I’m awake in terrible pain, and in the mornings, I find myself crying. But when I join the Zoom sessions, my husband says, ‘I hear you laughing and joking.’ There’s nothing more wonderful than being able to express yourself creatively and let your imagination flow.”

This story is one of many that underscore the power of the arts to transform lives, offering not just joy but also a sense of purpose.

Creativity and Hope

In his 2022 article on hope, Brian Lawlor beautifully captures how creativity fosters resilience. He writes, "Hope is much more than optimism; it’s the will to act combined with a pathway to achieve your goals, even in the face of adversity." This sentiment is echoed by so many of the older adults participating in The Creative Age—for them, the arts offer a lifeline, a means of connection, and a way to cope with difficult emotions and experiences.

There’s nothing more wonderful than being able to express yourself creatively and let your imagination flow.

—Participant in The Creative Age

A Global Celebration of Creativity

Wherever you are, don’t miss this opportunity to witness how creativity transforms lives and connects communities. This event offers a unique chance to celebrate the resilience, creativity, and hope of older adults on a global stage. With live transcription available in 30 languages, it truly showcases the rich diversity of older adults’ creativity and lived experiences.

Here’s a glimpse of what you can look forward to:

• Wales: The Company of Elders shares life stories that reflect resilience, community strength, and the rediscovery of adventure in later years.
• New York: The Queens Center for Gay Seniors presents an inclusive dance celebrating resilience and belonging, co-created with Magda Kaczmarska.
• Brazil: Older adults with aphasia perform therapeutic clowning, using humour and non-verbal expression to support emotional well-being, presented by Dr. Lenisa Brandão.
• South Africa: The Abahlali Base Freedom Park Elders group in Johannesburg perform uplifting songs celebrating their community spirit, supported by Lena Stofile.

Dig Deeper: Creativity and Health

If you’d like to explore more about the connection between creativity and brain health, here are some articles you might enjoy:

1. Arts in Health: A Landmark Report – Fancourt and Finn’s (2019) report synthesises over 3,000 studies, showing how the arts promote health, prevent illness, and manage chronic conditions.
2. Building Brain Healthy Communities through Creativity – Exploring how creativity fosters brain health and combats loneliness.
3. Creative Minds: Showcasing Community Arts for Brain Health – A San Francisco-based initiative that uses community arts to support brain health, particularly among older adults.
4. Creative Brainwaves: Creative Arts Improving Brain Health – Workshops demonstrating how creative engagement positively impacts brain health, especially for dementia-inclusive audiences.

Join Us for The Creative Age

I hope you’ll join us for what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of creativity, resilience, and hope. It’s free, inclusive, and filled with inspiring performances from older adults who continue to defy expectations and show that creativity knows no age.

Finally, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to my fellow Atlantic Fellows: Lena Stofile, Ieva Petkutė, Dvera Saxton, Magda Kaczmarska, Lenisa Brandão, Jennie Gubner, Dominic Campbell, and Marcela Mar Meza, for their guidance, support, and collaboration in bringing this event to life—this would not have been possible without their enthusiasm and support. Working together to spotlight the creativity of older adults across the world has been a joy and a reminder of the impact we can make together.

Reserve your tickets here for The Creative Age