Initially launched as a three year pilot programme in 2009 and jointly funded by the Arts Council and The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Arts and Older People Programme aimed to increase opportunities for older people to engage with the arts, by providing funding to arts-based projects which addressed age relevant issues such as poverty, isolation and loneliness, as well as promoting positive mental health.
http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/AOPP_Interim_Final_Report.pdf