Visual Art Participation and Ageing in Singapore

PI: Dr Belinda Yuen (LKYCIC, SUTD)
Team: Dr Špela Močnik (LKYCIC, SUTD)

Older adults in Singapore are enjoying not just increasing longevity but also more years in good health than the global average. They are more educated and affluent than the generations before them, and are apparently becoming more interested in the arts and culture. The National Arts Council 2015 population survey on the arts indicated that 75% of older respondents (aged 65 and older) had attended or participated in an arts and cultural event as compared to about 40% in 2011. Even though studies have shown that arts participation has a positive effect on health and social functioning in older adults, we do not yet have a good understanding of what this specific group needs and desires when they consume arts and cultural events. We know even less about those who do not participate and their barriers.

The present study aims to expand inquiry into this understudied issue of population ageing research. Using a case study approach, the study will apply a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse and understand the relationship between visual art participation and individual wellbeing among older adults in Singapore. In particular, it will investigate the impacts of passive and active visual arts on their quality of life, especially those related to sense of empowerment, social engagement and wellbeing in older people.