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From the report by Culture Track and E.A. Michelson Philanthropy:

In just a few years, and for the first time in history, Americans age 65 and older will outnumber those under 18. Older adults today are healthier and more financially secure than ever before. And contrary to popular belief, the vast majority remain independent and cognitively fit well into their 80s and beyond. The corrosive ageism that permeates our culture leads us to see older people as “other,” but it turns out that older and younger adults want the same things from life: we all have a deep desire to have fun, to connect meaningfully with others, to create and to learn.

This groundbreaking Culture Track report provides new data on people over 55 years of age. Importantly, it reveals older adults’ priorities in engaging with the arts: opportunities to belong, to learn something new and to feel a sense of accomplishment. The findings in this report align with E.A. Michelson Philanthropy’s $20 million commitment to support creative aging programs in more than 100 organizations over the past decade. It’s time to change the narrative around aging.

This report challenges arts and cultural organizations to recognize something that has been hiding in plain sight—an enormous opportunity to develop and deliver quality programs of relevance to the fastest growing segment of our society. We are grateful to the Culture Track research team for their expert analysis and for the many institutions working nationwide to offer cultural enrichment to older Americans.

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