Play Resource joined the Celebration of Age Week on Tuesday 5 March, by hosting an arts workshop for older people, led by artist Anna O’Kane, to mark the opening of the Age and Creativity art exhibition showcasing artwork created by the older people from six groups across Belfast. The Ballyowen Day Centre, Brookvale Fold, Cullingtree Fold, Families Beyond Conflict, Grove Day Centre and Loopland Avenue Fold have all enjoyed creating a vibrant range of   artwork including paintings, fabric and felt projects, cards and photo frames, jewellery and mosaics that they are clearly so proud of.  The exhibition was unveiled to a great buzz of excitement for the older people as they came to see their artwork on show, enjoyed with plenty of tea and cakes!

Play Resource, with community artist Anna O’Kane, worked with six centres across Belfast developing art projects that reflected the interests of the participants. The Age and Creativity arts programme gave older people access to the arts, and it is clear that engaging in the arts helped enrich their lives and enhanced their health and well being. This is reflected by a comment from Tommy, an enthusiastic member of the group at Grove who said “I never thought I could do something like this, no one will believe I helped to make this, I can’t wait to see it all up on the wall!”

Billy, another member of Grove used to go to painting classes and following a deteriorating medical condition thought he couldn’t any more. By adapting his brushes and modifying the traditional approach to painting, he was delighted to be able to complete his first painting in over 3 years.

This Age & Creativity exhibition at Play Resource is just one of the events planned across the region to celebrate the creative contribution of older people in Northern Ireland, as they take centre stage this March during the Celebration of Age Week, which runs from 4^th – 8^th March.  Organised by the Arts Council, through the Arts & Older People Programme, the weeklong Celebration of Age includes a number of free exhibitions, art workshops and performances by older people around the region.  Events during the week will highlight some of the success of the Arts & Older People Programme developed by Arts Council and Atlantic Philanthropies – a programme designed to help older people access and participate in the arts.  So far over 3,500 older people have participated in the Arts & Older People Programme activities to date.

Bob Collins Chairman of the Arts Council said: “The Arts & Older People Programme truly reaches out to older people in Northern Ireland, especially those in rural areas, increasing access to and engagement with the arts and thus enriching the social lives of those who participate and reducing isolation.  It also recognises the reality that older people have a lively interest in all aspects of life including the arts.  The Celebration of Age Week is a showcase of some of the successes of the Arts & Older People Programme, with many events taking place across the region.   I would encourage everyone, of all ages, to go along to an event near them”. 

Anne O’Donoghue, Director of Play Resource said “We are so delighted to see the inspirational artwork that has been created by the various groups around the community, and that the older people have enjoyed the art sessions so much, for example the ladies from Friends Beyond Conflict who took part have continued to meet on Mondays and make jewellery, now calling themselves the Crafty Bunch, and have even gone as far as selling what they make to help sustain their new hobby!”