Unequal Ageing is a participatory arts project co-produced with older residents in Rotherham as part of the University of Sheffield’s Ethnicity and Unequal Ageing research. It explores how age intersects with race, migration, gender, disability, class, and religion to shape people’s experiences of inclusion, visibility, and wellbeing later in life.

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Over a 12-week creative programme a group of older adults who had contributed to earlier phases of the research explored several art forms to express their lived experience of growing older in Rotherham and provide insight into what needs to change. Through visual arts, ceramics, photography and forum theatre the participants reflected on their lives, their communities, and the kinds of futures they wish to shape.

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The programme culminated in a public exhibition and a forum theatre performance at ROAR in Rotherham, inviting audiences, community leaders, and policymakers to listen, respond, and imagine more inclusive models of ageing together.

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Unequal Ageing is both a celebration of lived experience and a call to action—placing the voices of marginalised older people at the centre of the conversation around care, visibility, and justice.

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About the artists

Lead artist and forum theatre facilitator – Lora Krasteva

Visual Arts Workshop – Uzma Rani 

Photography Workshop – Anna Kozak

Ceramics – Deborah Frith 

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The workshops were hosted by ROAR in Rotherham. The programme is part of the Ethnicity and Unequal Ageing research by the University of Sheffield.