Fostering collective impact in arts-based interventions and cultural programs for creative well-being of older adults

Abstract

Despite growing interest in research into how the arts impact older adults’ health and well-being, there are many related complexities that are yet to be fully understood. This is partly due to the fact that documentation and analysis of arts-based interventions and cultural programmes for older adults in the public service domain are relatively new and uncommon. Furthermore, the effective implementation and the delivery of such inter­ventions to ageing people generally involve many stakeholders, often with divergent interests and priorities. This article presents an interview-based study that explores the diverse experiences of professionals from different sectors who have been involved in delivery of arts-based interventions and cultural programmes for older adults in South Korea and Finland. The study maps out similarities and differences in the approaches taken and the challenges faced in such interventions, using the five themes of the narrative interviews that have been conducted. The study findings highlight the need for supporting collective efforts among the diverse stakeholders to provide effective arts-based interventions and cultural programmes for ageing people. We argue that such efforts will ultimately become catalysts for synergetic actions that address the interconnected and encompassing challenges of an ageing society.