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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Body of knowledge
— a practice as research case study on the capacity for dance-theatre to promote wellbeing | | Author(s) | Jemma Bicknell |
| Journal title | Working with Older People, vol 18, no 1, 2014 |
| Publisher | Emerald, 2014 |
| Pages | pp 18-23 |
| Source | www.emeraldinsight.com/wwop.htm |
| Keywords | Dancing ; Participation ; Well being ; Case studies. |
| Annotation | The wellbeing benefits and challenges that arise in dance-theatre performance making with older people are explained. This study also considers the notion of taking artistic risks when making community art. It draws on current research into older people's participatory performance and the impact it has on wellbeing, in relation to a practice as research dance-theatre project called Body of Knowledge, carried out in 2012. The analysis draws on primary experiential and secondary data to describe the possible physical, mental, social and emotional benefits of taking part in performance projects, as well as identifying the challenges and criticisms related to this kind of work. The physical and mental impacts of participating in dance activity are well documented, but there are also valuable social and emotional effects which are hard to quantify, yet just as valuable. Evidence collected from other projects along with the author's own research, suggests that along with health benefits, the shared endeavour of taking part in a performance project can help an older person to build confidence, social networks, a sense of purpose and refresh or learn new skills. By encouraging older performance groups to show their work to audiences of mixed ages, it is also possible to challenge ageist perceptions. This and other articles in this issue of Working with Older People has as its theme creativity, the arts and older people. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-150529232 A |
| Classmark | HNA: TMB: D:F:5HH: 69P |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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