The Lively Project: using material objects to communicate the lived experience of longevity

Research on ageing tends not to be undertaken from those with direct, lived experience of longevity. As such, it differs from gender and race studies which are founded on the writings of women and people of colour. However, some older women, including ageing feminists, have begun to write about the experience of longevity. These newforms of ‘situated knowledge’ potentially help us to gain a greater understanding of ageing in social and cultural terms. The Lively Project took its inspiration from Penelope Lively’s memoir, ‘Ammonites and Leaping Fish: a life in time.’ Lively’s description of how six personal possessions tell the story of her life and of how life courses are shaped by socio-historical change. The objects place her 80 years on Earth in context. Our project replicated this experiment, asking six people (aged 61 to 80) to choose six objects that articulate something of their lives. This pilot project tested multiple methods from the arts, including a public exhibition. The paper shares learning from the project. It will be of interest to those working in the arts and those interested in informing public debates on ageing.