74
Extraordinario 6
Febrero 2026
Revista de Investigación y
Creación artística
Investigación
ISSN: 2659-7721
Increased longevity, while representing an undeniable social and public health
achievement, is accompanied by a set of socio-economic challenges. (Lemos, 2020). In fact,
according to statistical data collected on the PORDATA portal, the population ageing index in
Portugal (people over 65 per 100 young people under 15) has been increasing continuously
since the year 2000 (48.4) by around 10 points, to 58.7 in 2024. (PORDATA, 2025). However,
in the territory where we were developing this project, the ageing index reached 74.1 points in
2024. Given this evidence of an ageing population, with Portugal ranking 7th among the 26
countries that constitute the European Community, it is necessary to consider the development
of health, economic and social policies capable of addressing the impact of this process,
ensuring quality of life for the elderly population.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines the concept of quality of life as “an
individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in
which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns” (WHO,
2012). Not being synonymous with standard of living, quality of life involves issues of health,
both physical and psychological, the degree of independence, the relationship established with
the environment and society, and includes a perception of the degree of satisfaction in the
context of everyday life.
According to the Action Plan for Active and Healthy Ageing 2023-2026 (PAEAS),
quality of life in the context of healthy and active ageing is based on six fundamental pillars:
health and well-being, autonomy and independent living, lifelong development and learning,
healthy working life throughout the life cycle, income and economics of ageing, and
participation in society (Presidency of the Council of Ministers, 2024). Considering the
interrelationship and cross-cutting nature of these various areas, the project paid particular
attention to participation in social and cultural life as a means of promoting well-being. The
perspective of active ageing has also been taken into account, as a way of breaking with
stereotypes that associate older people with inactivity, passivity and dependence.
In fact, in this particular project, one of the main aims was to promote active ageing,
resulting the artistic action in an urban intervention on the part of the elderly population,
mobilizing the resources and agents available at local level. Associated with the concept of
active and healthy ageing, emerges the concept of creative ageing, which calls for the
mobilisation of artistic practices as ways of promoting physical, emotional and psychological
well-being. Since the 1970s, and especially since the 1980s, programmes aimed at artistic
practices with senior citizens have been created in Europe (Cutler, 2009). At the beginning of
this century, the Second World Assembly on Ageing of the United Nations (UN), held in 2002 in
Madrid, marks a turning point by taking on, as stated in the document produced, the Political
Declaration and Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, the challenge of “building a
society for all ages” (UN, 2002). Another turning point in international policy is the Decade of
Healthy Ageing (2021–2030), a global initiative launched by the WHO of the UN, an initiative
in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Officer & Hérick de Sá, 2023). The
promotion of communities that are capable of valuing the skills, knowledge and experience of
older people, is one of the lines of action for building age-friendly environments. Thus, when
we refer to the creation of creative ageing programmes that integrate artistic practices as their
main driving forces, we cannot limit them to a set of isolated activities or workshops, but they