Paul Smith styled cinema seats at Broadway Cinema, Nottingham
Red Carpet Treatment at Broadway
Older people do not want to feel ‘different’ to younger people and they do not want to feel ‘old’. They enjoy new experiences and broadening their horizons, indeed retirement often provides an ideal opportunity to do this.
Part of the purpose of The Bigger Picture research was to discover what engagement people aged over 60 residing in Nottinghamshire had with the arts. Our comic focuses on their experiences of Nottingham Contemporary. Here Dr Loretta Trickett discusses their responses and provides suggestions on how to reduce any barriers to accessibility.
Broadway cinema provides dementia friendly screenings bi-monthly on the final Monday of the month at 1.30pm. The screenings are enhanced to suit the needs of people living with dementia; the lights are left on low, there are no adverts or trailers and the audience is allowed to move around. Visitors are supported by trained Dementia Friends staff.
Broadway Cinema. Source: Paul Fillingham
Broadway Cinema is an independent cinema in Hockley, Nottingham. In 2006 it received a reputed 6 million investment that included an auditorium designed by Paul Smith. It was the firm favourite of the majority of respondents in the study, many of whom visited regularly (at least once a week). It was praised for the really good range of films and events, decent transport links, good value (including subsidies, film/event and meal deals and car parking reductions), as well as comprehensive events listings and regular updates. Respondents particularly enjoyed the screening of live theatre/ opera productions from other national venues which they would not have been able to experience otherwise due to prohibitive costs. Respondents suggested this had really broadened their exposure to and appreciation of theatre and opera. A further bonus was that the art exhibitions were accompanied by detailed films about the artists, their lives, their work and the locations and inspirations behind the paintings an educational experience which respondents had really enjoyed.
Comic art panel from The Bigger Picture
In the comic, it was suggested that the group of friends didn’t want to go to Broadway cinema when it was the ‘Silver Screen’ discounted showing because they didn’t like being lumped together as ‘old codgers’ – even though they accepted that they were in fact ‘old codgers’. This echoed a key finding in my research, that older people do not want to feel ‘different’ to younger people and that they do not want to feel ‘old’. They enjoy new experiences and broadening their horizons, indeed retirement often provides an ideal opportunity to do this. There is a need therefore to think not only about arts outreach and programming for older people but also intergenerational outreach and programming that is also inclusive for older people. This should involve research on what older people share with younger people and use art to bridge the generation gap. Additionally, older people can help to bring arts exhibitions to younger audiences in schools, as well as acting as intergenerational advocates/mentors.
Taken from Dr. Loretta Trickett Research findings on older people and engagement with the arts, January 2019
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