Residents from leading care home Nightingale House in South London, part of the Nightingale Hammerson group, contributed work to the innovative re:GENERATION project, which went on show at the Tate Modern.

The exhibition featured a ‘Patterns (and Potters) of Our City’ section, to which Nightingale residents contributed their handcrafted clay creations made during art sessions at the care home, as well as leading an interactive clay workshop for the public together with their ceramics teacher Emily Hall. Following the week-long project, the works will be returned to the Nightingale House where they will go on permanent display.

The re:GENERATION exhibition offers an interactive space to reflect and express what growing older means, across all age groups, and celebrates the immense contribution that older people make to both art and society.

Organised by Flourishing Lives, the London-wide coalition of organisations that use creative arts to support the independence of older people, the exhibition showcased the immense creativity of older people and explored the power of connecting generations through various art forms, including; pottery, dance, discussion, music and photography. Creative activities play a revitalising role in older people’s mental health and wellbeing and the exhibition provided a space to share a fresh perspective on ageing and being old.

Alastair Addison, Head of Activities at Nightingale Hammerson, said: “We are incredibly proud of our residents for the creativity and confidence they have shown in exhibiting their work at the re:GENERATION exhibition at the Tate Modern. Nightingale Hammerson prides itself on person-centred care and the integrated programme of activities enables staff to get to know and understand each resident in a deeper way, as art provides a unique platform to engage a person, whatever their age, on an emotional, physical and intellectual level. We are grateful to Flourishing Lives for allowing Nightingale Hammerson’s residents to be involved in this opportunity.”