Thursday, 4 March 2010

Introduction

Who I Am:
My name is Tom Makin-Bell. I currently live in Norfolk UK. For the last ten years I have worked for various charities providing services for older people in UK. My specialism is the development of partnerships and services for the benefit of older people. I have recently started working on a freelance basis for a range of organisations.


What I Am Doing On The Internet:

I have always had an interest in arts and creativity. In February 2010, I was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travel Fellowship to travel to Ireland and USA to investigate the provision of arts and creative activities for older people. My wish is to better understand the differences in policy, research, funding, development and delivery of arts and creative activities for older people between UK, Ireland and USA. My investigation will be summarised and published in a report via Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Arts, Creativity and Older People:

Currently within UK, there are a growing number of organisations, projects and services which exist to support creativity, creative activities and arts amongst older people. A recent report published by The Baring Foundation entitled 'Ageing Artfully' (www.baringfoundation.org.uk) served to provide an overall picture of the variety and scope of activity in UK and discussed the main areas for future development. Within the report, reference was made to the Bealtaine festival of creativity in later life which takes place every May in Ireland and a number of practitioner, advocacy and government organisations in USA were also highlighted. I believe that by further investigating this area of work within Ireland and USA that I will be able to inform the agenda surrounding arts and creativity in later life within UK. I therefore intend to visit many of the organisations mentioned within 'Ageing Artfully' to understand the differences in policy, research, funding, decision-making, development and delivery of arts and creative activities for older people. My trip will take place within May and June 2010 and my report will be published thereafter.

My Background:
I graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 1998 with a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art (2:1). I have subsequently worked in the voluntary and community sector in both paid and voluntary roles for the last ten years. I have been a Regional Development Officer for two separate organisations over the last five years specialising in the development of new initiatives, projects and partnerships for older people and their carers. I am now working on a freelance basis and my current contract is with SeaChange Arts in Great Yarmouth where I have been helping to coordinate their 'Creative Learning Journey' project - an informal adult creative learning project funded by the National Institute of Continuing Adult Education (NIACE). I am also a Trustee / Director of the Griffon Partnership, a 'Local Area Partnership' working within North Walsham and the surrounding areas as well as an advisor to Dementia Adventure - a nascent national social enterprise being developed by Clore Fellow Neil Mapes.

What Will Happen In The Future:

I will be keeping this blog updated throughout my travels. I plan to keep this blog going following my return in order to keep everyone informed of future developments. The organisations which I will be visiting are all innovative whether in terms of their research, advocacy, business-models or the creativity which they develop. I believe that the findings of my investigation will inform future debates and developments pertaining to creativity in later life agenda in UK.

And Finally:
This trip has only been made possible due to the fact that Winston Churchill Memorial Trust deemed my Fellowship application to be worthy of support. I would like to whole-heartedly thank the organisation and its Trustees for awarding me with a Travel Fellowship for 2010.

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust: www.wcmt.org.uk
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