Emma from Age Cymru and me, an interested individual with shared concerns, have been chosen by National Theatre Wales for the shortlist for the next #ntwassembly.  Vote for us as we are passionate about our idea.  Emma and I are collaborating on the notion that there is a negative attitude prevailing on ageing, and we hope the #ntwassembly, in an artistic, dramatic, inventive way can explore this idea and turn it round, leading to a celebration of our ageing population. (And next year I, too, will become a statistic i.e. I am 60!!).  We don’t want to mask issues of the need for different types of resources for elderly people but we also want to put a positive spin on the fact we have these resources, unlike many developing nations.  We also recognise that many of these developing nations have a positive attitude to an ageing population, which we can learn from.  We recognise the change of attitude of the Chinese government to their one child policy: the Government of this huge nation has understood that one child having the responsibility of aged parents leaves a gap in support, hence the relaxation of the one child population policy.  We in the West do not have this constriction and want to explore the idea of an individual/family/state involvement in absorbing the fact of our growing ageing population; what that demographic has to offer and, in times of need, what the individual/family/state can offer in ways of support. I would like the National Theatre Wales Assembly to address both positive and negative ideas of ageing.  For sure, being eighty, one isn’t as mobile as being sixty, or forty.  Adjustments are made, focus of life changes, getting about changes; these are realities but don’t have to be doom and gloom.  The bud on a pussy willow can be contemplated and admired as much at eighty as at forty, and indeed, more time is at our disposal to appreciate the beauty of this soft twig in our twilight years! 

 

Our ageing population has also been a generation at the tail end of the Technological Revolution; citizens in their sixties at present have the opportunity to embrace this and use it as we mature.  We can skype, facetime and use social media to keep in touch and be part of the cyber society: this technological revolution work for all ages.

http://www.nationaltheatrewales.org/cradle-grave

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