Sixty-four-year-old performer Sarah Stewart wants to share a few life lessons with audiences via “an hour of storytelling, laughs and playing with feather boas”. Photo: Supplied.
It’s on for young and old.
Australia’s first large-scale creative ageing arts festival will launch this month, with a packed program of events showcasing and celebrating creative expression for older people.
UPSTAGEING Canberra will run from 20 to 29 March 2026.
Over 200 performances, exhibitions and workshops are scheduled in over 50 venues across Canberra.
Funded by the ACT Government and run by Council on the Ageing ACT (COTA), the festival was initiated by the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council of Ageing (MACA) and reflects the growing use of arts, culture and creativity to enhance the health and wellbeing of older people.
From crochet to swing dancing, stand-up comedy to personal style workshops, the festival program spans a range of artistic expressions – with something for all ages and abilities.
“The diversity of the program reflects the diversity of older Canberrans themselves – varied, vibrant and anything but one-dimensional,” said COTA CEO Jenny Mobbs.
“We hope the Canberra community will make a choose-your-own creative adventure from the program.”
The event aims to shine a spotlight on the creative talents of older Canberrans and to provide opportunities to learn something new.
Ms Mobbs said the event reflects the desire of older Canberrans to remain actively involved in community life, supporting a sense of contribution and connection which is central to positive ageing.
“We know from research that creative activity is great for your mind, your body, your sense of identity, and for social connection. It can help improve chronic illness, mental health, loneliness and conditions associated with ageing, like Parkinson’s and dementia.”
The program includes a range of activities to support people living with medical conditions.
Festival Programmer Dr Cathy Hope says accessibility, inclusion and dignity have been central considerations.
“Our aim has been to ensure that people living with health challenges are not excluded from creative participation, but welcomed and supported to engage in ways that suit their needs,” she said.
These include dementia-friendly film screenings at the National Film and Sound Archive with audio description and staff trained by Dementia Australia, ZEST Dance for Wellbeing events, a mime workshop at Tuggeranong Arts Centre, a dementia-friendly choir, the Alchemy Chorus, and various inclusive visual arts workshops.
Performer Sarah Stewart is excited by the message the festival sends to the community.
“You’re not past it when you hit 60. You still have so much to offer and now is as good a time as any to try something new,” she said.
“You can’t learn tap dancing when you’re 6 feet under!”
An ex-midwife, wife and Mum, 64-year-old Sarah took up comedy six years ago.
Generally, she is inspired by “the idea that I want to make my kids roll their eyes at least once a week and say, ‘Oh my god, what is mum up to this time?'”
Sarah undertook a local comedy course, joined a fortnightly memoir-writing group, and works closely with award-winning writer and comedian Bec Melrose, who has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, written for ABC TV’s Gruen, and appeared on Question Everything.
“She inspires me all the time. Not just with the big picture, but also how to make every word work and land to achieve maximum impact on the audience.”
Her new show, Lessons for the Living, came on the heels of her latest transition – to Grandmother – inspiring her to share her stories.
“At my age, I have lots of stories to tell, underpinned by many years of laughs, tears, successes and terrible mistakes, which are funny and relatable in some way or another,” she said.
“I can’t tell you my experiences on dating apps – but I have some very funny ideas on how to choose a coffin.”
Sarah says older people are an important demographic, too often overlooked, both as performers and consumers.
“The thing that producers need to remember is potential audiences are over the age of 40, 50, 60 – and these audiences should be tapped into,” she said.
“You might not get the over 60s to an 8 pm show, but they love a matinee – who doesn’t!”
Sarah hopes Canberrans of all ages will get involved.
“I hope younger people engage with the festival, because they can learn so much from the incredible creative people who live in Canberra who have much to teach and pass on to the next generation.”
“I don’t want to be on my deathbed and regret that I never gave it a go,” she said.
“My show might never make it to the Sydney Opera House, but I gave it a go, had fun, proved I could do it and achieved my goals – that’s more than enough for me.”
UPSTAGEING runs from 20 to 29 March across Canberra. For more information, visit the COTA or follow on Instagram.
Original Article published by Hayley Nicholls on Region Canberra.
