Margaret was referred to the DigitALL project when she expressed regret over never putting on an art show of her own. Margaret’s determination to achieve this personal goal led her to successfully organise the whole event, complete with an online landing page and accompanying social media presence.  

My lifelong preoccupation with art contrasted with my vague understanding of IT. There seemed to be an abyss between the two: IT was mechanical, a world away from the vagaries of art.   

I wanted to realise my ambition of putting on an art show, and it had become apparent to me that this would involve event promotion, picture digitalisation and lots of emails! The thought crossed my mind that I should get someone else to do this – but it was my art, my show, and I decided I was going to do it myself.  

I joined the DigitALL Project at Open Age and enrolled on their one-to-one programme in Westminster. Here, I learned about things I’d never heard of before, including Instagram and Eventbrite. My network of dedicated tutors and coordinators gave me an increased sense of security; I felt I was no longer alone with the dreaded computer.  

Acquiring IT literacy has given me a renewed self-belief and self-confidence. IT is not an intimidating monster; with the right support, it is incredibly liberating. Post art-show, the learning will go on. More IT, more artwork! Not bad for a retiree.