Le musée du LaM

Organization: Le LaM

Supported Project: Silver Friday

Le LaM (Lille Métropole Museum of Modern, Contemporary, and Outsider Art) is a major cultural institution in the Lille metropolitan area that promotes 20th and 21st-century artistic creation while making art accessible to all audiences.

The Silver Friday Project: A Museum Open to Seniors

Le LaM has conceived the Silver Friday project, an initiative dedicated to people aged 65 and over. Every Friday afternoon, the museum will offer a free cultural event designed to foster well-being, curiosity, and social connection:

• Short tours of the collections and exhibitions

• Art workshops, lectures, concerts, or lively discussions

• Informal gatherings over coffee or afternoon tea

  
  

During school holidays, the program will expand to include intergenerational workshops, allowing seniors to share a cultural experience with their grandchildren.

The goal is clear: to make Silver Friday a regular, welcoming, and accessible event where art becomes a means of connection, sharing, and enjoyment.

An approach centered on listening and real needs

To bring this project to life, we wanted to start with the concrete expectations of senior visitors. We therefore brought together Damart customers, inviting them to share their experiences and desires for making the museum more welcoming. Their feedback was invaluable: they mentioned the need for comfortable benches, walking stick chairs, more legible text, and spaces that encourage relaxation and conversation.

These exchanges helped inform the LaM's thinking and ground Silver Friday in an inclusive co-creation process.

Multiple Benefits for Seniors

• Beyond access to culture, the project addresses essential needs:

• Breaking isolation and encouraging social interaction

• Stimulating creativity and knowledge

• Promoting intergenerational exchange

• Changing perceptions of aging

• Boosting well-being and self-confidence

  
  

Each year, between 2,000 and 2,500 seniors are expected to benefit from these cultural events, along with approximately 150 grandchildren during school holidays.

We are proud to support the LaM in this wonderful initiative. Silver Friday perfectly illustrates how an art venue can become a vibrant space for living and social connection, accessible to all ages.