‘Living Other Lives’: The impact of senior theatre on older adult well-being

Abstract

Abstract In this article, we discuss the impact of a participatory theatre arts programme on the social, emotional and psychological well-being of older adults in San Antonio, Texas. Using a participatory, collaborative approach, we designed an outcomes evaluation for an eight-week Senior Theatre programme sponsored by The Playhouse San Antonio. Pre/post surveys, focal interviews, and participant observation were used to document participant perceptions of self-confidence and self-esteem, emotional intelligence, memory, social engagement and self-rated physical and mental health, and to assess programmatic influences on outcomes. Eleven of the twelve consistently attending students participated in the surveys, six in focal interviews, and eight in the focus group. Closed-ended survey responses were analysed using univariate and bivariate statistics. Field notes, open-ended survey responses and interview transcripts were analysed using discursive textual analysis. Older adults associated their participation in senior theatre with perceived improvements in all outcomes except memory. Results contribute to older adult programming in participatory arts, as well as applied evaluation methodologies that document the impact of creative engagement through the arts on health and well-being, and social science work on health and ageing.