Senior Moments: Reflections on the CINAGE Project and Collaborative advances.

This presentation provides a sharing of the thinking, practice and outcomes which has resulted from the creation of CINAGE – a Grundtvig multilateral project with interlinked activities resulting in the production of a learning package aimed at empowering older people towards achieving active ageing. The presentation will trace the development of the CINEAGE project through its various phases that addressed the six competencies identified by the European Commission as essential to active ageing. We will identify key examples of how piloting this course with a group of senior volunteers eventuated finally in practical filmmaking. We’ll share the story of how screenwriting, directing and editing workshops, enabled the participants to write and produce their own scripts, which were based on autobiographical stories and strategies for coping with ageing. The project culminated in a Film Festival and symposium that invited short film entries that either featured older protagonists, or had older filmmakers as part of the creative team and/or crew. This Festival was largely co-ordinated and run by the CINAGE volunteers, with great continuing support from Leeds City Council, who indicated their interest in working with Leeds Beckett to further sustainability and development. Now we have begun the CINAGE 2016 Course – as part of the widening participation remit of the School and Faculty and are developing strategies to capitalise upon the creative talent and experience of the participants. The new course is a great opportunity to use what we learned from the pilot project and incorporate a whole new level of experience – whilst jettisoning some of the less successful elements of the pilot. The presentation will share with conference participants some of the performance strategies we’ve been employing with the new participants in order to create appropriate learning environments to enable collaboration, connectivity and creative engagement and share ways of moving forwards.

http://www.associationforeducationandageing.org/