'Untangling Frailty' wins at South Australia perform your science event

CRE Research Fellow, Dr Mandy Archibald, led a team of artists to win first place in the competition.

As part of National Science week 2018, Dr Mandy Archibald, a CRE research fellow, led a team of artists to create a research-based interdisciplinary performance supported by an Inspiring South Australia Perform your Science grant. The work, entitled “Untangling Frailty” was awarded first place in the competition.

Funds awarded through this prize will be used to continue developing engaging public works to raise awareness and challenge misconceptions about frailty and healthy ageing. “Untangling Frailty” is based upon Dr Archibald and the Knowledge Translation team’s research of older persons understandings and perceptions of frailty, and is also informed by additional CRE research projects.

The story of the research is told by chronicling a young man’s journey through day-to-day life in an increasingly productivity and consumer-driven society. “Untangling frailty” explores how the complex meanings, fears, and misconceptions about frailty and ageing are intertwined with our experiences of the world, and reminds us that our environment and how we see ourselves are critical parts of how we age.

Following this success, Dr Archibald was recently awarded an Inspiring SA Regional Science-Arts Collaboration Grant to continue her work in this area.

Dr Archibald acknowledges the support of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and a G-TRAC Resthaven research grant in making this work possible.