Steering Committee:
We would like to acknowledge the role that the late Professor Cathy Bailey played in the early development of this SIG. Her mentorship and expertise in creative ageing was invaluable to us as a community of researchers working in this area. Cathy unfortunately passed away in late 2022. Read our SIG Founder's reflective blog Remembering Cathy.
Emily Bradfield (Founder & Co-Chair)
Emily is interested in bringing creativity into research and practice, and developing inclusive, creative, ethical and reflective practice. She is a practitioner researcher and independent consultant working at the intersection of arts, health and wellbeing.
Bluesky: @erbradfield.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilybradfield/
Ezinma Mbeledogu (Co-Chair)
Ezinma is currently exploring the inter-relatedness of dress and identity and to what extent this relationship might contribute to our understanding of people from the global majority communities living with dementia in London. Her research is interdisciplinary and is at the nexus of dress studies, dementia studies and post-colonial studies.
Bluesky: @thefashanthro.bsky.social
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ezinma-mbeledogu-frsa-181b0146
Robyn Dowlen
Robyn is interested in moments-based approaches to understanding the benefits and value of creative arts experiences as we age. She is a creative, qualitative researcher with extensive connections with the arts and cultural sector.
BlueSky: @robynd.bsky.social
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-dowlen
Karen Gray
Karen is fascinated by how we understand, describe and share knowledge about the value and meaning of creative and leisure activities. She is a researcher and a freelance evaluator with a particular interest in dementia.
Bluesky: @kcrgray.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-gray-0740a219/
Kat Algar-Skaife
Kat is an interdisciplinary researcher with a keen interest in enhancing the wellbeing of care home communities through creativity. Her work focuses not only on improving the lives of residents but also their loved ones, and the staff. Recently appointed as an Associate Professor, Kat aims to integrate these creative practices into the training of future healthcare professionals.
Bluesky: @katskaife.bsky.social
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katherine-skaife-bb1989331
Rebecka Fleetwood-Smith
Rebecka is a researcher and textile artist who has worked with people living with dementia to explore the significance of clothing through ideas of playfulness, joy, and creative non-verbal expression. She has extensive experience working with arts-based methods in health contexts.
X: @RFleetwoodSmith
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rebecka-fleetwood-smith-94514751/
Kate Dupuis
Kate is a psychologist and researcher in Ontario, Canada. In her work, she explores how to encourage and support arts participation across the lifespan, what the terms creativity and self-expression mean to older adults, and how the arts can be used to address the mental health and well-being needs of staff working in care settings.
X: @artsaging
Bluesky: @drkateto.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-dupuis-ph-d-c-psych-b9194b38/
Sarah Kemp
Sarah is joint Artistic Director of Théâtre Sans Frontières (TSF) in Northumberland. She runs two drama groups for older people living in rural areas. She is particularly interested in how physical theatre practices can enhance older people’s creativity, self-expression and lifefulness.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-kemp-4954ba8/
Vicky Guise
Vicky is a Music Therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist for the arts therapies organisation, Chroma. She is particularly interested in the role of the arts and arts therapies in supporting people following a brain injury and developing further connections between researchers and practitioners.
X: @vickyguise
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicky-guise-155768318/
Meghánn Ward
Meghánn – also known as ‘Meg’ – is an interdisciplinary gerontologist who has previously studied the in-the-moment benefits of participatory multi-arts activities
for people living with dementia and their family members. Outside of work, Meg is a singer-songwriter and pianist, interested in the general application of music and creative endeavour to the life course.
X: @meghanncward
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmcward13467/
Farrell Renowden
Farrell is passionate about social justice and the important role creativity plays in reducing inequalities. She is an experienced leader in the field of Creative Ageing, focussed on authentic co-creation, and embraces the power of being #AgeProud.
X: @farrellrenowden
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farrell-renowden-2524119b