Age Against the Machine: European Solidarity Network for Older Citizens Rights, is co-financed by the European Union under the programme CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) and comprises a collaborative European network of six partners in Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Italy and Portugal.

The project has a duration of two years, from January 2024 to January 2026, to raise awareness on ageism and age prejudices in Europe, challenging discriminatory practices and tackling themes on gender and gender-based violence, image, identity and heritage, ageing and sexuality, social policies, health and the burden of care, cultural preconceptions and stereotypes, among others. All of them are topics that will be worked out with our local communities in all partners cities (Novi Sad, Goleinów, Holstebro, Cuneo and Évora).

Our goal is to engage in an intergenerational dialogue about experiences, memories and embodied knowledge, valuing individual singularities and collective identifications through sensitive listening, using participative theatre methodologies, participatory arts, artistic actions, site-specific outdoor interventions, and co-creative processes, which will help us to build a collaborative dramaturgy.

All partners will develop theatre laboratories for half a year, resulting in a public premiere presentation during October 2024 in all partner cities, open to interaction and dialogue with our local communities. From November to October 2025, we will hold Five International Festivals in each partner city, where all performances will be presented to the public and the national Advisory Council, involving thirty experts actively engaged in cultural community activities and age empowerment.

As a partner in this European Project, the Research Centre of Art History and Artistic Research (CHAIA, U Évora), counts on the collaboration of the Department of Performing Arts, the Department of Visual Arts and Design, Arteria Lab (transdisciplinary research), and Évora City Council (Department of Youth and Sports). Our multidisciplinary research team is made up of 14 members. We started with a group of de 20 to 25 participants (among students and older people between ages 22 and 80), from both genres. Due to the required long-term commitment, the theatre group dropped to 16 participants, which were only women.

We have observed that empowering older women through togetherness, intergenerational solidarity, social inclusion, and active participation, as well as through a process of intimacy, collective identity, and sisterhood, has a sustainable effect on our local communities.