They are change acrobats
-
They are change acrobats -
LEARNING 1
You might picture yourself at 75 and imagine yourself all grown up, goals achieved.
But this age group take pride in being a perennial work in progress. Our interviewees absolutely hated the idea of winding down.
“Classic FM won’t stop telling me to make a cup of tea and put my feet up... as though anything else might make me drop down dead!”
They changed the world again and again -
They changed the world again and again -
These are the people that came of age in the 60s and 70s.
They made feminism mainstream, they pioneered the equal pay act, they legalised gay marriage.
They were cultural renegades. They gave us flower power then they gave us punk, they were the mods and the rockers, they stole music off the BBC with pirate radio.
But it’s as though people turn 60 and we forget everything they’ve done.
“When I was coming of age, masculinity was the only model of success… you couldn’t be taken seriously at work and wear makeup. You had to choose”
“We set the pathway for youngsters… when I was in my 20s gay people were getting mugged and beaten in the streets.
Last weekend I saw two guys in their 20s dressed in sequinned tops and makeup walking through centre of Glasgow with no hassle”
“It was that first march I learned that simply holding a placard does nothing… they just made bigger bombs”
Of course they didn’t hit 60 and just stop caring.
They’ve brought the revolutionary mindset of their youth into the present day.
They’re the force behind some seismic shifts happening right now. They’re fighting ageism, they’re running and funding charities, they’re lobbying the government and holding them accountable.
Their brand of activism is grounded in action not just words, and they’re not afraid to get down and dirty to affect change.
They put Instagram activism to shame
–
They put Instagram activism to shame –
“You need more than enthusiasm and information… you need to make them want to change, you need to make where they currently are uncomfortable”
“You can donate our interview fee to any East London charity you like”
“Arts Council have retracted the funding for the play again. We’ve reapplied dozens of times and we won’t stop”
They are brilliant beginners
–
They are brilliant beginners –
We’ve been taught that ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Earlier in life we’re terrible beginners. We want to be experts and so we’re obsessed with progress.
As we age and we achieve, that obsession ceases and we start craving variety. Beginnerdom is essential for this age group’s sense of purpose.