Between 2014 and 2024 I led the internationally recognised Elders Company at the Royal Exchange Theatre.
In 2026, I became a freelance theatre director and remain committed to leading pioneering work in the creative ageing sector with a particular emphasis on challenging ageism.
Acting Against Ageism – a participatory research project I am collaborating on with Dr Natalie Diddams at the University of Warwick in partnership with Manchester’s Factory International and Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre. The second phrase of the project will begin in 2027 working with an intergenerational group to creatively respond to the theme of ageing.
I have created a range of stage, audio and film outcomes with older people including…
Acts of Love (2024) was a bold new theatre production created with Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre as part of EldersFest
A Funny Thing Happened in Isolation (2020 film) was a lockdown creation – a mockumentary about a group of older people trying to keep their theatre dreams alive.
We’ll Be In Touch was developed in response to the pandemic. The project began in January 2021 following a partnership between the Royal Exchange Theatre and Together Dementia Support, supported by Small Things. It involved Elders from the Royal Exchange creating poetry over the telephone with participants from Together Dementia Support. It led to the creation of a poetry anthology, a podcast and a short documentary film.
Listen to the podcast or watch the film.
Moments That Changed Our world was the first major production by the Royal Exchange Theatre’s Elders Company. Created with the company it explored personal moments of transformation woven into a wider narrative of social change across 70 years. Click here to watch a short evaluation film.
I also led intergenerational working at the Royal Exchange Theatre including productions Wit & Wisdom (2022) – an exploration of comedy, and The Space Between Us (2017) with dance artist Christopher Owen. Click here to watch a short evaluation film.
In 2014, Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre invited me to establish an Elders Company. Growing from a ten-week pilot with 25 older people to a regular programme for over 200 people promoting creativity into later life and challenging ageism. Over ten years I evolved a programme of activity using co-production methods, as well as make and produce innovative artistic outcomes.
In 2024, a four-day festival, EldersFest celebrated ten radical years of creative ageing.
The Elders at the Royal Exchange Theatre included…
Elders Company – a year-long learning programme for a new cohort of older people each year.
Elders Graduates – a creative learning programme including opportunities to make theatre and work intergenerationally with younger people.
Elders Leaders – a training programme to develop the skills and agency of graduates of the Company.
Elders Dream Projects – a series of special projects to address the under-representation of African and African Caribbean, East Asian and South Asian older people. The impact of the Dream Projects saw an increase in global majority older people taking part at the Royal Exchange Theatre rise from 0 to 20% between the 2018/19 and 2022/2023 Elders Company and Elders Leaders cohorts.
Elders Mondays – an open access public programme of creativity theatre activity taking place twice a month.
The Stage Community Award (nominated 2026)
Fantastic Families Best Age-Friendly Outreach Award (winner 2023, nominated 2021)
Manchester Culture Award (nominated 2021) for my work with The Elders.
The Stage 100 (2021) for my work with the Elders Company during the Covid 19 crisis.
Manchester’s Adult Education and Skills Learning Group Award (winners 2021)
This year I have led Creative Ageing facilitation training for emerging facilitators who are part of TwoCan Theatre Company.
In 2019, I was invited by the British Council Korea to lead workshops with older people at Seoul Arts Center.
In 2018, I was part of a British Council Japan, Baring Foundation and Arts Council England research trip to Tokyo and Kyoto to learn and share more about Creative Ageing. You can read my report here.
I have written and contributed to a number of reports and articles about creative ageing, including…
Collaborating with Elders (2023) for the online toolkit Disrupt: Tools for sharing power developed by Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Barbican.
The Stage (2018): Theatre should teach us to grow old creatively.
Guardian feature (2018): A new way to stretch yourself.
Between 2015 and 2022 I was a Dementia Friends Champion, and in that time I led sessions creating over 200 Dementia Friends for Greater Manchester Police, National Trust and the Royal Exchange Theatre staff and volunteers.
Between 2013 and 2018 I led Older & Bolder: a friendship, activity and support group for men over 50 at The LGBT Foundation in Manchester.
