Around the World in 80 Creative Ageing Projects brings together some of the projects outside the UK which the Baring Foundation discovered during its Arts and Older People programme. The report contains an overview of 80 Creative Ageing projects, across Europe, Asia and the anglophone world outside of the UK. It presents a series of brief examples for each country listed, interspersed with seven more detailed case studies.

Reasons for looking at projects outside the UK are: UK practice has been influenced by work abroad; the UK has a huge range of work to offer outside of the UK; due to an ageing global population, there is a growing shared interest in creative ageing which goes beyond national boundaries.

The report lists a wide range of arts interventions, some intergenerational, including: visual arts; dance and movement; music and singing; theatre/performance; festivals; creative writing and literature; cross-art form working. Specific settings include care homes, hospitals, day centres, museums, art galleries.

The Baring Foundation’s Arts and Older People programme (2010-2019) was designed to benefit older people in the UK who wish to express themselves though the arts. The majority of the work funded has been with people aged 70 or over, with a particular focus on people who have previously not done this or who have challenges to overcome such as living with dementia. The most popular approach has been participatory arts where a professionally trained artist works with someone who has not had that training to facilitate and support their creativity.

Cutler, D. (2019). Around the World in 80 Creative Ageing Projects. London: The Baring Foundation