Graffiti course for elderly citizens beautify Lisbon

Portugal artist collective WOOL creates stencil courses that connect well-known street artists with senior citizens.

Well-known street artists are teaching senior citizens in Lisbon, Portugal, how to graffiti. Dubbed LATA 65, the teams of seniors learn how to create stencils and design their own personal street tag. They are then given free reign in dilapidated sections of the city to create large-scale murals.

LATA 65 is a community art project designed in partnership by WOOL – The Urban Art Festival of Covilhã and Cowork Lisboa. The project’s goals are to create and strengthen connections between generations, and de-stigmatize the practice of street art by inspiring creativity at all ages.

Much of the current innovation in aging focuses on healthcare and communication, such as these connected systems for messaging amongst family and managing medicines. With many senior citizens now active for far longer than previous generations, healthcare isn’t always the most pressing concern, and intellectual stimulation and social connections are becoming more important. What other personal skills could be redeveloped for use in the later years?