Aging, allyship and activism through art
Dr. Julie Henderson’s background as a professional actor and occupational therapist provides her with a unique perspective for redressing ageism through occupation in live theatre, performance and collaborative art-making.
Henderson investigates how occupation can be used to promote activism that will counter ageism and foster a better sense of community in multi-generational participants. Her goal is to positively reshape what we think of aging, old age and the way we practice care.
Henderson’s work as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine’s Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia is focused in four interesting areas:
Stigma and older adult performers:
To find ways to reduce stigma and promote accessibility for older adult professionals in the arts where research shows that opportunities for performers, directors, choreographers, stage managers, designers etc diminish significantly with age resulting in older performers experiencing limited creative expression, stalled career growth and loss of income and much needed health benefits.
Fighting agism with Tik Tok:
Finding ways to counteract ageism using Tik Tok. Her series called “having a senior moment” shares voices and stories of people and elders over 55. The goal: is to reduce ageism with works that show how “we embrace or confront the passage of time.”
Multi-gen art workshops:
By hosting intergeneration climate action workshops that create low waste artwork, Henderson is exploring both climate change and climate justice. She hopes to develop knowledge and practices that can be used to promote understanding on a larger scale.
Easing transitions with art:
Exploring the benefits of co-creating art projects using valued possessions and performance to ease the transition into long-term care. Here, the purpose is explore ways to transferring memories held in material objects to embodied memories.
Dr. Julia Henderson has a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation from Queen’s University. She also has a PhD in Theatre at UBC and is a member of UBC’s Healthy Aging Project and Centre for Research on Personhood in Dementia.
