The Life House Project: theatre-based explorations of home with LGBTQ+ Older Adults

The Life House Project uses theatre and creative methods to help us understand the needs to older LGBTQ+ communities in relation to housing and care, principally in the London region. It uses theatre and other creative methods to support older LGBTQ+ people to tell their stories and understand how they feel about these important aspects of their lives. More than this, the Life House Project has taken this a step-further, creating resources for those working in the housing and care sectors to help them understand the issues faced by older LGBTQ+ people and initiate change to make services better and more inclusive. 

Find out more about and access our educational resources

Why are we doing this?

We know that LGBTQ+ older adults often have concerns about getting the right housing and care as they grow older. However, there isn't enough focus on helping them express these concerns and finding solutions that work for them. It’s aimed at supporting both older LGBTQ+ people and those professionals who work in housing and housing with care to create solutions. 

Why is this important? 

Because everyone deserves to have their stories heard, especially when it comes to important topics like where they live and how they receive care.

We've learned from past projects and conversations with older LGBTQ+ individuals that they want to be more involved in research like this. So, this study is designed to be something they can actively participate in.

Our goals are simple:

1. Let People Tell Their Stories: We use theatre and other creative methods to support LGBTQ+ older adults to share their stories and talk about their housing and care needs.
2. Develop Better Approaches: We’ve worked with LGBTQ+ older adults and housing and care sector professionals to explore ways to create better, more inclusive services.
3. Create Resources: We’ve used co-design principles with LGBTQ+ older adults and housing and housing with care professionals to create a range of resources that can be used in staff education and training.
4. Share the Experience: We're sharing what we’ve done with others so they can understand the issues and what can be done to address them. We’ve communicated our research and knowledge exchange through a range of channels. 

Who are we? 

Our team, led by Dr Georgia Bowers, includes Dr Richard Green, Dr Frances Sanders and Professor Andrew King. We’ve worked closely with LGBTQ+ older adults and housing and care sector professionals, alongside London Bubble Theatre. 

Get in touch

We would like to hear from you. If you are interested in using this approach in your own practice or have any questions or feedback about the film, we encourage you to contact the team by emailing Dr Georgia Bowers: g.bowers@gsa.surrey.ac.uk. 

Funding amount

FABSS Seed Funding (£2000) and FABSS Impact Acceleration Account Funding (£20,000).

Life House Project Animation and training resources

With additional funding from the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, we have co-designed a set of training resources in collaboration with older LGBTQ+ people to support housing and care providers in better understanding and meeting the needs of their LGBTQ+ clients.

These resources aim to promote inclusive, affirming practices and provide practical insights into the everyday experiences, concerns, and strengths of LGBTQ+ older adults navigating housing and care services.

The resources are free to access and suitable for use in staff training, induction, and reflective practice. To access them, please complete a short form by clicking the link below.

Access the Life House project resources