Friendship and health as influences on arts participation by older people?

This study aims to identify the relationship between socio-demographic and health variables, and social networks on the one side and arts participation on the other. Older people (aged 65-80) who develop productive artistic practices in non-profit art associations are of special interest. Data from the Belgian Ageing Studies show that a membership of an art association is determining for the attendance rate in cultural activities in general. The most important predictors of participating in an art association appear to be frequent contact with friends and, subsequently, older people’s physical health. Furthermore, one’s marital status seems to be more decisive than the level of education in explaining whether one participates or not. Also, the research results indicate that age, gender, mental health, perceived ageism, and other social networks (relatives and neighbors) are not significantly related to arts participation. Conclusively, practical implications and policy issues raised by the research are critically discussed.