Thursday Three - 03 APRIL 2025 

• Stop the press! RM Gibson Program opens Next Monday!

• Autism and ageing - a unique experience: "World Autism Understanding Day"

• Creating transformative, co-created outcomes with Creativity, Arts and Design Special Interest Group (CADSIG)

Stop the press! RM Gibson Program opens next Monday!       

The AAG Research Trust is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025 Grant Round with the RM Gibson grant program opening next Monday, 7th April.  

The RM Gibson Program is specifically aimed at supporting the next generation of researchers and practitioners across the multidisciplinary field of ageing, awarding projects that work to improve the experience of ageing through innovation in research, policy and/or practice. The program was set up to honour the memory of Dr Richard (Dick) Maxwell Gibson, who played a foundation role in the development of gerontology within Australia and beyond. Dick made a significant contribution to AAG, including serving as National President and the inaugural Chairman of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics Asia/Oceania Region.

This year, the Research Trust once again will be offering up to three RM Gibson grants of up to $10,000 each, with a possible 4th grant funded through our partnership with the Dementia Australia Research Foundation. To learn more, you can check out the newly revised 2025 RM Gibson Guidelines here. A link will be provided on the RM Gibson web page to submit your application when the grant round officially opens on 7th April. 

***Please disregard the 27 March 2025 emailed version of the Thursday Three newsletter which incorrectly stated an opening date of 7th May*** 

You can view the 2025 Research Trust FAQs or contact [email protected] for more information. Grants through the Research Trust are only open to AAG members. Not a member? Find out more and join now. You can also read about the creative thinking and innovation of previous grant recipients on the Research Trust Award Showcase pages.

Note: all remaining Research Trust grants will open 12th May. Keep an eye on the Research Trust web pages for more details.

Autism and ageing - a unique experience:  "World Autism Understanding Day"

This week, people and communities in Australia and around the world commemorate World Autism Awareness Day (2nd April) - or as Aspect likes to call it, “World Autism Understanding Day”, because it takes more than awareness – it takes action!

This year, the Australian Government commences to deliver on its National Autism Strategy 2025-2031 and has released its Older Autistic People Snapshot. Recent studies also recognise the lifelong experience of autism and the current gaps in research. In particular, the uniqueness of older people’s lived experience of autism that requires creative and tailored interventions and greater understanding to appropriately support the older person, their carers and families.

We encourage AAG members, both researchers and practitioners, to consider what action you can take to build understanding of autism and ageing to better inform targeted programs and services for older people. You can find out more in the resources and links mentioned above, or post your feedback and comments to AAG Community and use #WAUD2025 on social media to continue this important conversation.

Creating transformative, co-created outcomes with Creativity, Arts and Design Special Interest Group (CADSIG)

The AAG Creativity, Arts and Design Special Interest Group (CADSIG) is facilitating conversations in the emerging intersection between creativity, art and design and gerontology. Arts-based and creative approaches offer opportunities for innovative engagement in ageing research and practice.

A key strength of creative approaches is that they ‘de-privilege’ so-called ‘intellectual’ senses  (sight and hearing) in favour of ‘instinctive’ senses (touch, taste, smell). This includes the use of visual, performing and literary arts in ageing studies from data collection, analysis to engagement and dissemination. In turning from conventional language-centric methods, creative approaches reframe traditional hierarchies in research and practice to allow for transformative co-created outcomes.

Successful use of creative approaches is well illustrated in a photovoice project for older people by AAG member and CADSIG convenor, Dr Tricia King, who engages with older people to learn photography skills, exhibit their creative works, and engage in their communities. Many AAG members were lucky enough to attend Tricia’s engaging and interactive pre-conference workshop in Hobart last year: Listening with images: A photographic workshop on using the camera in research design and documentation, hosted by Emerging Researchers in Ageing (ERA) and AAG’s Student and Early Career Group (SECG) at #AAGConf24.

Creative approaches will also be featured in a project by AAG and CADSIG member, Dr Kristina Chelberg, using arts-based methods to promote the voice of people living with dementia in residential aged care feedback, improvement and reform processes. The project hopes to develop alternatives to written survey and verbal interview participation in aged care consultation for older people living with dementia.

Alongside these and many other projects by its members, CADSIG aims to highlight how creative practices can change conversations while confronting and disrupting stereotypes about age and ageing.

To connect with the CADSIG and join our inspiring group of members, tick the CADSIG box in the Special Interest Groups tab in your membership profile to receive notifications about activities and events, or contact Tricia directly at [email protected] for more information.

Related: The successful Ageing, Art, and Creativity Symposium in Newcastle, hosted by CADSIG last year, is likely to return later this year. Keep an eye out for the announcement!

Pictured: Tricia King engaging with a program participant along with AAG member Daniel Wadsworth
Photo credit: https://www.collaborativephotography.com/