The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is a singular opportunity to reform Australian aged care and redress the marginalisation of aged care residents—a vulnerable demographic whose voices too often go unheard. Using innovative arts-based forms of storytelling, this three-year project explores how non-traditional approaches can provide older Australians with more visibility in aged care policy debates. Combining media analysis with poetic inquiry, participatory photography, citizen storytelling, and interactive art, this project amplifies the voices of residents and engages policymakers, providers, and the public in a reflexive, inclusive conversation about the past, present and future of aged care.

The stories of neglect and abuse emerging from the RC are not resonating with the public in their current form. This project will test, develop, and deliver new ways of hearing and engaging with aged care stories that will being together providers, policy makers, residents, and the Republic during the critical policy-forming period following the RC’s November 2020 final report.

This project is funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant – DP210100859 (2020-2023).