The Life House Project: theatre-based explorations of home with LGBTQ+ Older Adults
Start date
August 2023End date
April 2026About the Life House Project
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
The Life House Project Film
The Life House Project Film documents the process of running a series theatre workshops with people living in the UK’s first LGBTQ+ affirmative retirement community to articulate their stories, experiences and concerns about housing and social care.
Related sustainable development goals
Team
Lead Investigator
Dr Georgia Bowers
Senior Lecturer & Course Leader Applied and Contemporary Theatre (GSA)
Biography
Dr Georgia Bowers is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Applied and Contemporary Theatre at the Guildford School of Acting, University of Surrey. An Applied Theatre practitioner, Creative Ageing practitioner-researcher, and pro-ageing advocate, her work explores how theatre can reshape cultural narratives around ageing and promote social justice for older adults.
Her research and practice have been presented nationally and internationally, including at Tate Modern, Alexandra Palace, the British Film Institute, the International Longevity Centre, and the University of Oxford, and have been featured by the United Nations Global Initiative on Ageing and Longevity. Her work has also received media coverage from the BBC and The Stage. Her forthcoming book, Ageing On Stage: Theatre and Creative Ageing (Routledge), examines how theatre with older adults can challenge ageism and address ageist-induced shame by fostering shame resilience.
In recognition of her teaching excellence and academic leadership, Georgia received the Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences Early Career Teacher of the Year Award in 2024. Dr Bowers serves as an External Examiner at Rose Bruford College and as Working Group Convenor for Science and Performance for the Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA). She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Centre for Excellence on Ageing, affiliated with the United Nations. She is also a member of the British Society of Gerontology and serves on the Ageism Special Interest Group Expert Steering Committee.
Dr Bowers has led projects, talks, and workshops for arts organisations including the Royal Opera House, Chichester Festival Theatre, The Dukes, Brighton People's Theatre, Spare Tyre, Young Carers: BUCKS, London Bubble, Hampstead Theatre, Almeida Theatre, Centrepoint, Watford Palace Theatre, and Theatre Royal Windsor. From 2022-2025, Dr Bowers was a trustee and safeguarding lead for London Bubble Theatre Company.
Co-investigator
Dr Richard Green
Surrey Future Fellow
Biography
Richard was awarded a prestigious Surrey Future Fellowship in April 2023 to develop an ambitious interdisciplinary programme of research focused on understanding and addressing complex challenges in health and social care using artificial intelligence, systems thinking, and simulation methods. His current work explores how agent-based modelling (ABM) and participatory approaches can be used to investigate under-examined areas of care provision and access, primary, community, palliative, unpaid, and integrated care contexts.
Richard’s research vision is shaped by a commitment to advancing qualitative and mixed-method research that accounts for the complexity of care systems and the lived experiences of older adults and their caregivers. He is particularly interested in how simulation methods can support both research and policy.
Richard completed a BSc in Criminology and Sociology at Royal Holloway University and then an MSc in Social Research Methods at the University of Surrey, before completing his PhD in Sociology in partnership with both universities on an ESRC studentship. His PhD explored men's experiences following treatment for prostate cancer in a qualitative interviewing study. Before joining the PALLUP study, Richard worked at the Office for National Statistics as a Senior Research Officer, working on facilitating research access to secure data for research that serves the public good.
Co-investigator
Professor Andrew King
Associate Dean (Doctoral College) Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences, Professor of Sociology
Biography
I am Associate Dean (Doctoral College) for the Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences (FABSS). Between July 2021 and March 2025 I was Head of Sociology. I am Co-Director of the Centre of Excellence on Ageing (CEA) and former founding Co-Chair of SGS (the Sex, Gender and Sexualities Research Group at Surrey). I lead the University of Surrey Economic and Social Research Council Impact Acceleration Account.
I have been recognised for my excellence in both research and teaching. In 2018 I received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence and I received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence in 2014. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
I am currently Deputy Editor of the journal, Ageing and Society and a Co-Editor of Sociology, the journal of the British Sociological Association.
During 2023/4 I was a Visiting Professor in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Trinity College Dublin.
