Partner story: Baring Foundation
Partner story: Baring Foundation
Introduction
The Baring Foundation was our partner for a pioneering programme of Fellowships focused on Creative Ageing from 2010-15.
“Our partnership with the Churchill Fellowship has been essential in placing the UK at the cutting edge of good practice.” - Baring Foundation Director David Cutler
As a leading funder of arts projects for older people, Baring had found that participating in the arts can improve older people’s wellbeing and ease conditions such as dementia, arthritis and loneliness. However, it was a relatively new area of research, with little knowledge of best practice. In working together to explore global practice in the area, this new therapeutic idea was transformed into a well-established professional field - in which the UK is now a global leader.
The aim of the programme was to explore global best practice on using the arts to engage with older people, improve their health and wellbeing and build community. Baring helped us to develop the programme, recruit applicants and reach influencers in the sector.
Across the five-year programme, a cohort of 47 Churchill Fellows visited 22 countries around the world, bringing their learning back to the UK. Baring hosted an annual seminar to share their learnings and co-funded Fellow Alice Thwaite to draw the findings together in a detailed report, Growing the Creative Ageing Movement: International Lessons for the UK, which was launched at the International Conference on Culture, Health and Wellbeing, in Bristol in 2017.
The programme resulted in a cohort of leading practitioners in this field, making a huge impact across communities. One outstanding result was a month-long festival of arts and dementia at Leeds Playhouse, devised by Fellow Nicky Taylor and coordinated by people living with dementia. More than 7,500 people attended events over seven weeks and the festival won a National Dementia Care Award. Another success was a year-round arts for older people programme developed by Fellow Kerry Rooney at the Imagine Arts Centre in Northern Ireland, enabling over 200 participants aged between 60 and 88 to take part in weekly creative classes. Kerry was awarded an MBE for this work.
“Our partnership with the Churchill Fellowship has been essential in placing the UK at the cutting edge of good practice on arts and older people.” - Baring Foundation Director David Cutler
“Our partnership with the Churchill Fellowship has been essential in placing the UK at the cutting edge of good practice.” - Baring Foundation Director David Cutler
As a leading funder of arts projects for older people, Baring had found that participating in the arts can improve older people’s wellbeing and ease conditions such as dementia, arthritis and loneliness. However, it was a relatively new area of research, with little knowledge of best practice. In working together to explore global practice in the area, this new therapeutic idea was transformed into a well-established professional field - in which the UK is now a global leader.
The aim of the programme was to explore global best practice on using the arts to engage with older people, improve their health and wellbeing and build community. Baring helped us to develop the programme, recruit applicants and reach influencers in the sector.
Across the five-year programme, a cohort of 47 Churchill Fellows visited 22 countries around the world, bringing their learning back to the UK. Baring hosted an annual seminar to share their learnings and co-funded Fellow Alice Thwaite to draw the findings together in a detailed report, Growing the Creative Ageing Movement: International Lessons for the UK, which was launched at the International Conference on Culture, Health and Wellbeing, in Bristol in 2017.
The programme resulted in a cohort of leading practitioners in this field, making a huge impact across communities. One outstanding result was a month-long festival of arts and dementia at Leeds Playhouse, devised by Fellow Nicky Taylor and coordinated by people living with dementia. More than 7,500 people attended events over seven weeks and the festival won a National Dementia Care Award. Another success was a year-round arts for older people programme developed by Fellow Kerry Rooney at the Imagine Arts Centre in Northern Ireland, enabling over 200 participants aged between 60 and 88 to take part in weekly creative classes. Kerry was awarded an MBE for this work.
“Our partnership with the Churchill Fellowship has been essential in placing the UK at the cutting edge of good practice on arts and older people.” - Baring Foundation Director David Cutler