• The Art of Good Health and Wellbeing Sydney 2013
• Guidelines for Abstracts and Awards' Nominations
• Program at a Glance
• Presenters
• Plenary Presentations

• Plenary Presentations
• Creative Ageing International
• Cirque De-Stress: Promoting Public Mental Health Messaging Through Circus Arts
• Creative Ageing in the UK – Past, Present and Future
• Who's that sitting in Mary's chair?
• The 'FIVE' Project: Addressing Mental Health in Fifo Communities Through Arts Participation
• Engaging Elders in Creative Expression through Poetry
• A Whole of Government Ageing Strategy for NSW
• Art is like Chocolate for the Brain (Dr Gene Cohen) - Active Ingredients for Successful Living in Later Life
• Aboriginal Design Can Transform Communities
• EVIDENCE: Fiction-Non-Fiction?
• Is There a Place for Humour and Mischief in Creative Ageing?
• Room for the Imagination: An Equal Arts' Project
• Critical Mass
• Arts and Health - A Role for Local Government
• Fostering Dementia Friendly Communities

Creative Ageing International

Challenging the enjoyment of the best possible quality of life in older age is the separation of agencies which support older people.

The institutional beliefs of these agencies are as divergent as their schedules, focus and operating methods. As we are living longer pressure on these systems is increasing.

While Governmental agencies, not-for profits, and individual agents operate separately the gradual but inevitable transformation of society by ageing demands innovative thought and response across existing boundaries.

In this presentation experience gained developing Ireland’s Bealtaine Festival and supporting new strategies in Wales, Scotland and the Netherlands illustrates how creative celebration is becoming a tool to gently challenge, inform and transform individual and institutional understanding of ageing.

Might celebrating ageing improve our opportunity to live thoroughly into a great old age?

Dominic Campbell

Dominic Campbell is an Artistic Director, Producer and Creative.

From 2006 to 2013 he led the "Bealtaine Festival" Ireland's groundbreaking celebration of creativity in older age growing it into one of the countries largest most significant annual events. 700 partner organizations now make around 3000 events for 122000 people. Innovation in all art forms takes place across the country in care settings, libraries, and cultural centres. The festival enriches communities and individual lives, establishing new narratives of ageing in Ireland as common wealth.

Previously he transformed Dublin's St Patrick's Festival (1999-2004) attracting an audience equivalent to one quarter of the national population to live events while generating global publicity for the city. With that team he also produced a National celebration marking the expansion of the EU during 2004.

Dominic has been a member of the Department of Justice and Arts Council of Ireland exploration of "Cultural Diversity and The Arts" advisory group and was a cultural representative on the National Economic and Social Forum Futures Ireland initiative. In 2012 he adjudicated at Tehran's Fadjr Theatre Festival. He is primarily a Carnivalist interested in the role art plays in personal transformation as a precedent to cultural and social change. He tries to remember learning takes place with his hands as well as his head.