Images: as presented plus one church drawing.
Text/ discussion: Copy of Version 3 Application for Registration and a highlight of the changes
Ideas about how to convert the essential ideas of the research into a RSA Animate type of presentation!
Social Drawing: describe, define, quantify
- explain why the term is needed; to distinguish from the common idea of Drawing as an individual, solitary exercise; describe the commonalities and differences of both
- how to use Social Drawing in the context of my research?
Ageing; how ageing has moved ,very recently from the house of the dieing to the house of the living and how Ageing is now starting to be considered part of the life journey instead of just a preparation for death.
- how to use Social Drawing in the context of my research?
Ageing; how ageing has moved ,very recently from the house of the dieing to the house of the living and how Ageing is now starting to be considered part of the life journey instead of just a preparation for death.
Diary: handwritten as a monthly review
R G Wilson
CCW 06 Feb 2013
Research
Proposal/Programme of Research
TITLE
Facilitating Imaginative and Creative
Learning in Later Life through Drawing.
RESEARCH
INTERESTS
Drawing curriculum development for Senior’s Life Long Learning [LLL].
1. AIMS
1.1 To establish whether there is a correlation between the practice of Drawing
and healthy ageing1.
1.2 To investigate whether an embedded benefit of regularly engaging
with Drawing as a mean of communication and discovery by visual artists might
be reflected in the healthy ageing of Senior artists and whether the
recognition of this might be used in the development of LLL programs benefitting
a broader constituency.
1.3 To develop a Drawing curriculum for
Seniors LLL based on the findings of 1.1 and 1.2 above, specific to their
healthy ageing needs.
1.4 To develop my studio Drawing practice to be reflective of, and
reflexive to, the research so that each will inform the other in the context of
the topic.
2. STATEGIES
Regarding Aim 1.1
2.1 To investigate the convergence of thinking in the areas of Drawing
and healthy ageing and LLL and their relationships in the context of the topic.
2.2 To understand the connections to Drawing in current neuroscience and
gerontology research and literature and to establish it’s relevance in regards to
healthy ageing needs of Seniors in LLL and whether intellectual stimulation
provided through LLL may be related to areas of the brain stimulated by the
experience of Drawing activities.
Regarding Aim 1.2
2.3 To establish the effects of involvement with Drawing on Senior
artists healthy ageing, on a retrospective basis, in the context of the topic.
Regarding Aim 1.3
2.4 To investigate the use of Drawing in educational models and systems
and the problems and opportunities that may currently exist within current Drawing
curricula.
2.5 To investigate Seniors learning and its importance to them and to
question whether LLL needs of Seniors are being met and to establish if Seniors
require special pedagogical considerations in curriculum development.
2.6 To integrate new research evidence that suggests that a major factor
in healthy mind/brain ageing and wellbeing may be its exercise and that
involvement in LLL, especially the Arts may provide one of the best forms of
exercise.
2.7 To investigate whether the qualities and attributes of Drawing as
referred to by senior artists correspond to the social and mental healthy
ageing needs of Seniors.
2.8 To investigate Drawing techniques used in Mind Mapping, Visual
Thinking and non-verbal learning and certain Art Therapy techniques to establish
their potential relevance and use in the context of the topic.
Regarding Aim 1.4
2.9 To focus on a reflective analysis of my overall healthy ageing
arising from the reflexive experience of Drawing as a Senior in the context of
the topic.
2.10 To attempt to use techniques such as periodic fMRI scanning of
myself to establish autobiographical connections in the context of the topic.
HISTORICAL
CONTEXT
Although Drawing has played a
significant role in Art pedagogical programs historically[1]
there is little evidence of Drawing in LLL programs for Seniors in the U.K.[2].
In the past decade there have been research initiatives, primarily in the U.S, in
new areas of gerogogy, geroneurology, and gerosociology suggesting that
involvement in the Arts leads to healthy ageing4.
There have been studies carried out in the U.K. by various agencies in the past
20 years regarding the benefits of developing creative initiatives at all
levels of LLL5, however few programs have been established
for Seniors LLL6 and the percentage of
Seniors involved in LLL has been decreasing7.
Some writing has been done on ageing and creativity8 and although there has been some commentary
by senior artists9 there has been very
little biographical or autobiographical documentation of/by senior artists that
reflects directly on their ageing process.
CONTEMPORARY
CONTEXT
There is current primary research and writing with respect to healthy brain
ageing and LLL10 and there are some new
initiatives in establishing local authority Seniors Arts programs11, however there is little being done
involving the practice of Drawing as a component of the Art programs. There are
no known investigations into the linkages between Drawing and geragogy as to healthy
ageing in an effort to propose new, practical opportunities in LLL as is
suggested by this proposal.
THEORETICAL
CONTEXT
The theoretical basis of this
proposal is that a state of health in an ageing12
mind/brain depends on its exercise and that the best form of exercise may be
as a result of ongoing involvement
in LLL, especially in the Arts13. This
research hypothesizes that Drawing, done in a social context, is the best form
of Art to be considered in the development of a LLL program specific to Seniors
healthy ageing.
METHODOLOGIES
· Review literature,
research and data that take into consideration debates in the areas of convergence
of thinking about Drawing and its relation to LLL and healthy ageing.
· To use myself
and my own ageing process as a main subject by establishing a reflective and
reflexive studio practice that will use my documented experience as an
art-maker and Drawer in the context of the topic.
· Initiate primary
research, including self-completed anonymous questionnaires, in a series of
Seniors’ Drawing workshops to determine relative social stimulation during various
drawing exercises.
· Cite narrative
accounts through semi-structured oral history interviews with Senior artists to
explain their retrospective experiential accounts in the context of the topic.
· Establish
collaboration in related areas of study involving Drawing.
· Use quantitative
statistical analysis of existing data to establish the size and growth of the Seniors
demographic and the trends for LLL participation.
ETHICAL
DIMENSIONS
See attached.
TIMELINES
See attached.
13
Multiple articles, books and blogs by Dr.Goldberg and Dr. M Merzenick within
past five years, who are referenced in the MSL. Also various research projects
initiated by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Gardner,
1989
FINAL OUTCOME
An exhibition of the artwork
created and a written thesis including a proposed Drawing curriculum for
Seniors.
1 Healthy
Ageing is defined as: ongoing activities that reduce risk of illness and
disease and increase positive physical, emotional and mental health outcomes
and enhance quality of life.
[1] The Arts and Education: Knowledge Generation,
Pedagogy, and the Discourse of Learning, Review of Research in Education, V. L.
Gadsden, Feb 2008, University of Pennsylvania
Dewey, 1934 Eisner, 1982 and 1994
and Gardner, 1989
[2] Ageing
Artfully Report, Barings Foundation, David Cutler, 2009, [ISBN
978-1-906172-06-0].
4 The
Creativity and Ageing Study, Final Report PDF, G.D. Cohen, April 2006
Opening Minds through Art
(OMA) at Colonial: Miami, E Lokon, June 2010
5 Schuller, T. And
Watson, D. (2009) Learning Through Life: Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong
Learning. Leicester: NIACE
Robinson Report, 2006, referenced in MSL
6 Ageing
Artfully Report, Barings Foundation, David Cutler, 2009, [ISBN
978-1-906172-06-0].
7 J Benyon, 2010, referenced in MSL.
8 On Late Style, E. Said, 2007, Patheon
9 Audio Arts, W. Furlong, 2007 Connecting
Lines: Artists Talk About Drawing CD 2010 part of National Life Stories project
of the British Library. Senior Artists Dictate History, Chinese documentary
film, 2006 to present [ongoing project]. Senior Artists Initiative
Philadelphia, ongoing documentation process.
10 Multiple
articles, books and blogs by Dr.Goldberg and Dr. M Merzenick within past five
years, who are referenced in the MSL. Also various research projects initiated
by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Gardner, 198911 Ageing Artfully Report, Barings Foundation, David Cutler, 2009, ISBN 978-1-906172-06-0
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