Case Study

Raising awareness of LGBTQ in care homes

Dr Christine Templeton-Parker, Senior Lecturer in Film and Video Production and Programme Leader for the MA Writing for Performance, has been researching the issue of equality for the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) community within care homes. She recently used this research to write and direct an award-winning short film entitled The Carer.

A commissioned piece

The film was commissioned by QUAD, Derby’s arts centre, for its Shine a Light series of short films – a participatory film-making project for the over 60s, which was funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Arts Foundation. In The Carer, Ari, a sophisticated and urbane gay man, moves into a care home and encounters Beau, the beautiful, heterosexual, illiterate former thief who is now his carer. Their unlikely meeting changes the future for both of them. Ari is played by BAFTA-nominated actor Peter Eyre and Beau by newcomer Barney Glover.

icon 291k people aged 65 or over are care home residents *based on 2011 census data
icon 1% of UK population aged 65 or over identify as LGBTQ *based on data from the Office of National Statistics, 2014

“The idea for the film came from my meetings with Seen ‘Ya Rights, a group of elderly LGBTQ activists taking part in the Shine a Light project,” explains Dr Templeton-Parker. “They lived through times when homosexuality was illegal, through the AIDS epidemic and have spent a lifetime battling for the right to be ‘out’ and to be themselves. They feared that in old age they would lose this hard-won identity. However, they also wanted a story that did not portray a gay character as a victim. So, in The Carer, I set out to celebrate the survival and wisdom of our elders and to pay tribute to their love and generosity.”

Peter Eyre

What I really loved about the script was the delicacy of the storytelling, and a kind of poetic element which made it subtle and touching, not preachy or journalistic.

Peter Eyre

Wider context

Seen ‘Ya Rights’ fears seemed to have been confirmed by research into this issue. One previous study found that most care home staff believed there were no LGBTQ residents in their homes, despite official statistics that suggested otherwise. Dr Templeton-Parker’s visits to care homes during her location search for the film also supported this finding.

Care clasped hands comfort
Care elderly people hands comfort ball

Awards and endorsements

Originally screened at QUAD, The Carer went on to win five prestigious Awards of Excellence at the international Best Shorts Competition and was accepted for BAFTA consideration. The Seen ’Ya Rights group was also delighted with the outcome, writing to Dr Templeton-Parker: “Thanks so much for creating something beautiful, sensitive and meaningful” (Sue Tomlinson and Jenny King, members of Seen ‘Ya Rights).

The Carer is now touring film festivals and had its world premiere at the 2016 Palm Springs International Short Films Festival. After its festival run, Dr Templeton-Parker is arranging screenings for care home staff, to raise awareness within the sector and to research further, the experiences of LGBTQ residents in care homes and the attitudes of care home staff.

icon 5 Awards of Excellence
icon 1 BAFTA consideration
icon 40 production staff working with University graduates and students

Team

Professionals, together with graduates and students from the University’s film and video courses, were involved in the making of this short film. The full cast and crew list contains over 40 names, but some of the key people were: