This publication describes the ‘Creative Workshops with the Elderly’ project, carried out by the ‘Lifelong Learning in Music’ (LLM) research group, based at Hanze University of Applied Sciences n the Netherlands.

The ‘Creative Workshops with the Elderly’ project was carried out in 2011 – a practice-based research project of the research group ‘Lifelong Learning in Music’ (LLM), based at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen, studying the practice of the creative music workshop involving a workshop leader and elderly participants.

Building on existing knowledge about creative music workshops and working with elderly people, a project was devised in which an experienced workshop leader carried out creative music workshops in residential homes for elderly people, as well as day care centres. This publication gives a detailed account of the theoretical frameworks; workshop content and methods; analysis of working with the elderly, the role of the workshop leader; and conclusions and recommendations. It is hoped that the results of the research will open up possibilities of further practice development for musicians working with elderly people.

Dons, K., Mak, P., Bisschop Boele, E. (2014). Leading Creative Music Workshops with the Elderly: Exploring a Double Balancing Act. Groningen: Hanze University of Applied Sciences.