A generation game

Abstract

Anyone who has worked in the arts will tell you that a touch of creativity can see you achieving everything you set out to and more, albeit in a potentially roundabout way. The arts encourage people to break away from habit, explore new areas of experience, and learn. This ethos inspired the Theatre Anon Arts Foundation while engaging with the Maltese elderly community. Active Age was a pilot project that motivated older adults to move their bodies while sharing their life experiences. We noticed that fun tends to slip away from our day-to-day lives when we’re not looking, so improvisation games and props like flowing scarves and balls encouraged playfulness. This translated into a willing openness when it came to contributing to the ‘memory boxes’ created along the other side of the project. While looking through the mementos and telling stories, everyone in the room connected. Through Active Age, many of our participants realised their potential to make a real difference in others’ lives. It was then that we decided to broaden our horizons, and expand the borders of the conversation to include young people. This is how Active Age – Intergenerational Dialogue came to be.