While each and every one of us is guaranteed to be confronted with ageing, we tend to narrow it down to a fixed, dusty and grey stereotype.
A team of colourful volunteers with life experience and france rcs data the gift of the gab challenged people’s preconceptions, against the background of my research which proposes seeing ageing not as a number, but as experiencing a number of linked meaningful transitions.
First, people are intrigued by individual ageing stories, and try to draw comparisons to their own lives.
Most participants wanted to have more than one conversation, once they decided to take part in the event, and compared the lives of our volunteers with transitions they were going through at the moment.
Similarly, confronting them with population statistics on later life transitions in health, partnership and wealth, often dispelled some myths of old age while highlighting inequalities.
Second, living libraries as a methodology works, and is an attractive way to set up intergenerational and intercultural dialogue with a low threshold for participation.
Our volunteers enjoyed the event, with some willing to have another go at a next evet.
We are very hopeful this will happen, as Age UK Bolton, as well as our host institution the central library, were interested in organising an event like it themselves.