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In 2015 the Whitworth Art Gallery (Manchester, UK) mounted an exhibit titled, “Danger! Men at Work,” which was a selection of works from the Whitworth’s collections curated by a group of men living in a residential home near the gallery. The selections reflected the men’s personal stories and perceptions of masculinity.  The exhibit, and a related publication, “A Handbook for Cultural Engagement with Older Men,” evolved from efforts by the Whitworth staff to understand and respond to a persistent problem, namely, the problem of engaging older men with art and museums.

In this blog post Ed Watts, Engagement Manager at the Whitworth, explains the multi-year process of research and program experimentation that led to the actions taken by the Whitney to increase the involvement of older men in the life of the museum. As a result of Watts’ work, the Whitworth not only mounted “Danger! Men at Work,” — which was well received by visitors, including older men — and published the handbook, but has continued to take steps to engage older men with the development of and participation in age-friendly programming.  The blog post is unusual as a personal reflection and record of problem solving within the museum context.

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