Highlighting positive ageing with our daily LED light show

I’m Joanna and I’m a Business Support Assistant here at NICA. I created the lightshow that happens every evening at The Catalyst to show that ageing can be a fun, colourful experience.

Stereotypically people think of ageing as getting old, losing mobility, and gaining health issues. But it is so much more… Ageing is something we all have to face, we are doing it every day! To quote my Director, it is ‘a kaleidoscopic process where grey is just a stereotypic nuance.’  I love that quote because it is an ever -changing process, and it looks different for every single person.

Here at NICA we love to challenge stereotypes and embrace difference. We love to find new innovative ways to think and to live better, longer lives. For me, that’s what these lights are. Something as simple as a timed disco ball light show highlighting the vibrancy of ageing. In our society ageism is often accepted and we need to change the narrative. With the light show I wanted to show that ageing is not grey and boring. The mainstream narrative of ageing as frail, passive and negative just isn’t the case.

To start to combat the mainstream imagery of the older population you need an ageless mind-set. I want to celebrate ageing and all the positives it entails, highlighting the fun side of ageing.

Whatever age you are, you can choose to age well and embrace the experiences and joy of life.