about embolden
The Embolden festival concept was launched in October 2018. This self-funded event aims to accelerate the pace of change focused on challenging ageism and building respect for older Australians. The festival engages, inspires and resources older people, community members and service providers for change. The inaugural Embolden event was a great success - delegates rated it on average 4.8/5 for usefulness and comments were very positive. The Festival has earned its place and the highlight of the Celebrate Ageing calendar.
about the need
The number of older Australians is growing. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1 in every 7 Australians is an older person. This means there are currently around 3.7 million older Australians and the number is expected to reach 8.7 million by 2056.
Alongside these changes there are shifts in the way we age. While 50% of older people have some degree of disability - 74% report their health is either good, very good or excellent. Additionally, the proportion of older people participating in the workforce has doubled in the last 15 years. Older people are more active. The World Health Organisation notes that older people are now seeking Healthy Ageing, or opportunities to be and do what they valued throughout their lives.
In response to these changes, The World Health Organisation is leading a global campaign to build an Age Friendly World. The campaign recognises the role environments play in the health and wellbeing of older people – and focuses on combatting ageism and promoting autonomy. Age Friendly strategies are rolling out around the world. At a local level, a number of Australian states have developed related Strategies or Declarations including Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.
Older people’s rights are increasingly in focus. This is apparent in significant shifts in the delivery of aged care services. For example, the Consumer Directed Care model was implemented to provide older people with more power to influence the services they receive. It recognises the autonomy of the older person as consumers. Similarly, the Wellbeing and Reablement approach to home services involves working with older people to maximise their independence and autonomy. Older people are being afforded full citizenship.
The focus on Age Friendly World is also contributing to awareness of Elder Abuse. The World Health Organisation estimates that 15.7% of people aged 60+ are subjected to Elder Abuse – mostly perpetrated by family members. We need to challenge ageism and create an Age-friendly world where older people are autonomous and respected.
To address the need to challenge ageism and build an Age Friendly world, the Celebrate Ageing Program presents Embolden2018. There is currently no National event bringing older people and service providers together to help build an Age-Friendly World. The Embolden2018 event will provide to consolidate cultural change by bringing together leaders in the field and providing opportunities to share ideas and learn from each other.
Alongside these changes there are shifts in the way we age. While 50% of older people have some degree of disability - 74% report their health is either good, very good or excellent. Additionally, the proportion of older people participating in the workforce has doubled in the last 15 years. Older people are more active. The World Health Organisation notes that older people are now seeking Healthy Ageing, or opportunities to be and do what they valued throughout their lives.
In response to these changes, The World Health Organisation is leading a global campaign to build an Age Friendly World. The campaign recognises the role environments play in the health and wellbeing of older people – and focuses on combatting ageism and promoting autonomy. Age Friendly strategies are rolling out around the world. At a local level, a number of Australian states have developed related Strategies or Declarations including Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.
Older people’s rights are increasingly in focus. This is apparent in significant shifts in the delivery of aged care services. For example, the Consumer Directed Care model was implemented to provide older people with more power to influence the services they receive. It recognises the autonomy of the older person as consumers. Similarly, the Wellbeing and Reablement approach to home services involves working with older people to maximise their independence and autonomy. Older people are being afforded full citizenship.
The focus on Age Friendly World is also contributing to awareness of Elder Abuse. The World Health Organisation estimates that 15.7% of people aged 60+ are subjected to Elder Abuse – mostly perpetrated by family members. We need to challenge ageism and create an Age-friendly world where older people are autonomous and respected.
To address the need to challenge ageism and build an Age Friendly world, the Celebrate Ageing Program presents Embolden2018. There is currently no National event bringing older people and service providers together to help build an Age-Friendly World. The Embolden2018 event will provide to consolidate cultural change by bringing together leaders in the field and providing opportunities to share ideas and learn from each other.
about us
Embolden2018 is facilitated by Celebrate Ageing – a social enterprise challenging ageing and building respect for older Australians. Celebrate Ageing was established by Dr Catherine Barrett in 2016. Catherine has over 30 years’ experience working with older people as a nurse, educator, capacity builder and academic. Celebrate Ageing works with an Executive of older people and has partnered with over 30 organisations on projects to achieve real change.
The Celebrate Ageing Program has over 1300 Facebook followers and 1900 Twitter followers and the Celebrate Ageing website averages over 25,000 unique visitors each year.
The Celebrate Ageing Program focuses on education and capacity building. Under the banner of the Tea Cosy Project, the Program has delivered educational workshops to service providers, older people and schools on a broader range of arts projects including:
In addition to the Tea Cosy’s proactive approach, four projects have been established under the Celebrate Ageing banner to address the consequences of ageism. These are outlined below:
The Celebrate Ageing Program has over 1300 Facebook followers and 1900 Twitter followers and the Celebrate Ageing website averages over 25,000 unique visitors each year.
The Celebrate Ageing Program focuses on education and capacity building. Under the banner of the Tea Cosy Project, the Program has delivered educational workshops to service providers, older people and schools on a broader range of arts projects including:
- Love Cosies: art about older people we love
- Insulator Cosies: stories protecting against internalised ageism
- Age-Friendly World: what 'age friendly' means to older people
- Place365: photographs of older people - and stories about their sense of place
- Spray Can: challenging ageist ads, comments, media
In addition to the Tea Cosy’s proactive approach, four projects have been established under the Celebrate Ageing banner to address the consequences of ageism. These are outlined below:
Museum of love
The Museum was established by Celebrate Ageing to develop, collect, preserve and display items documenting the importance of love in the lives of people with dementia (and address the stigma and isolation that people with dementia experience). Museum of Love Collections include:
The Museum recently launched LoveFest – an initiative bringing the Museum of Love to local communities. In 2018 LoveFest was bought to Perth by a consortium of Perth based organisations.
- The Kiss: portraits of people with dementia kissing someone they love
- The Mirror: photos of people with dementia doing something they love their lives
- Letters of Love: raising awareness of the human experience of loving someone who has dementia
- Pulse of My Heart: an annual film tracing the journey of a woman living with dementia
- Dance: portraits and stories about dementia and belonging
- 100 stories: narratives from people in Ballarat living with dementia (funded by Helen MacPherson Smith Trust).
The Museum recently launched LoveFest – an initiative bringing the Museum of Love to local communities. In 2018 LoveFest was bought to Perth by a consortium of Perth based organisations.
OPAL INSTITUTE
The OPAL Institute was established by Celebrate Ageing to promote the sexual rights of older people (and the ageist belief that older people are not sexual). In early 2018, Dr Barrett coedited a book for Routledge on the Sexual Rights of Older People. The OPAL Institute delivers education and develops resources to assist service providers promote sexual rights. Resources include:
- A sexual wellbeing policy for residential aged care
- A sexual boundaries policy for home services
- Webpages of resources related to particular topics
- A project addressing sexual abuse of older womeN
Alice's Garage
Alice’s Garage is a national project empowering LGBTI elders and promoting healthy LGBTI ageing in Australia. In 2018, Alice’s Garage received an LGBTI community grant from the Victoria Government to develop organisational capacity. Projects include:
- Strong House: a place for sharing stories from LGBTI elders about Pride and getting through tough times
- Never a Crime: in partnership with Lisa White, The Social Photographer, documenting gay and bisexual men’s responses to their historical experiences and contemporary reforms, including the Expungement scheme (workshops funded by City of Melbourne). Project Patron is Ro Allen, Gender and Sexuality Commissioner for Victoria
- Abundance: is a story pantry affirming Transgender and Gender Diverse ageing (funded by Seniors Festival Victoria – in collaboration with the City of Melbourne) in partnership with Lisa White, The Social Photographer
- 100 Years of Love: a collaboration with the City of Ballarat celebrating the lives and loves of three lesbian couples living in Ballarat who collectively have close to 100 years of relationships between them. The project highlights the importance community in creating a sense of place for lesbian elders – and the importance of valuing and affirming same sex relationships. Supported by the City of Ballarat and funded by Seniors Festival Victoria
- Tram: a collaboration with The Social Photographer, Switchboard Victoria, City of Port Phillip and the Victorian Senior’s Festival documenting older lesbian’s experiences of lesbophobia and their stories of resistance (Funded by Seniors Festival Victoria)
- Tango Project: Developed and coordinating a project documenting older LGBTI Victorian’s experiences of abuse and discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex. Gender and Sexuality Commissioner Ro Allen is project patron. Project patron is Ro Allen, Gender and Sexuality Commissioner for Victoria
- New Moves: In partnership with All The Queens Men, hosted an event for Senior’s Festival 2016 which bought Victoria’s Commissioners and older LGBTI Victorians together for a High Tea. Produced a video with messages of support from the Commissioners to older LGBTI Victorians (Funded by Seniors Festival Victoria)
- The Baroness of Balaclava: In partnership with Switchboard Victoria hosted an event for Port Phillip Council Senior’s Festival 2017 celebrating the life of gay activist Richard James, including production of a film (Funded by Seniors Festival Victoria)
- Beautiful Women: Developed and coordinated a campaign for BreastScreen Victoria to encourage LGBTI women to undertake a mammogram. The Campaign included photographs by Lisa White of LGBTI women from 26 -76 years of age and was picked up by Vanity Fair, Huffington Post, Buzz Feed and Mashable.
