Age Against the Machine:
A Festival of
Creative Ageing
Role: One of two Senior Producers on behalf of the Albany, Entelechy Arts and Lewisham Council
Age Against the Machine was a ground-breaking, radical and relevant arts festival which took place for three weeks in Autumn 2019. With nearly seventy different events, ranging from live music, theatre, dance, film and exhibitions, to discussions, pop-up choirs and large scale outdoor performances, the festival had at its heart a mission to open up the subject of ageing in our society.
Events took place in community centres, theatres, care homes, museums, parks, libraries and public spaces across the borough. Thirty of the events were Community Commissions, chosen through a process of supporting groups to work with artists and try radical new ideas, created by intergenerational groups across Lewisham. There were accessible performances across the festival, and over half the events were dementia-friendly, with trained volunteers in attendance.
The festival was funded by a Mayor of London’s Cultural Impact Award, as part of London Borough of Culture.