Discussion of how creative aging programs in community arts education have the opportunity to work at the intersection of anti-ageism and anti-ableism.
Inclusive Arts Vermont have put together a comprehensive resource list on how best to engage people of all abilities in the arts, including a list of resources specifically for teaching artists.
Cross-sector, state-level partnerships are key to sustaining and ensuring access to creative aging programming, especially for older adults in rural communities. Research shows that these arts education programs contribute significantly to healthy aging and increased social connection. The Advancing Creative Aging in Westerns States Initiative, launched in 2023, is designed to deepen and sustain collaboration among state agency partners to advance creative aging in the Western region. Currently the Initiative includes partnership teams in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah. These teams include leaders from state arts agencies, state libraries, and state veterans services, and will expand to include aging services and health and human services.
Lifetime Arts will provide consulting services and information resources for multiple stakeholders across these state agencies. These resources are designed to support new and existing partnerships across state agencies and their constituent organizations. Lifetime Arts also is supporting the development and implementation of up to five creative aging programs in sector-specific host organizations in each state. These programs will serve a total of 500 older adults and help to demonstrate the benefits and efficacy of creative aging.
This article was published on CourseStorm, a platform which provides accessible, online education registration and management support for organizations that offer classes and programs to the public — many of which focus on arts education. Featured in the article is Heather Ikemire, Lifetime Arts’ Executive Director, who shares why now is the time for organizations and educators in the arts field to engage older adult learners and the myriad benefits of offering creative aging programming in their communities. Heather also shares examples of successful programming across the country and free resources which we have developed for organizations to utilize when getting started in this work.
In this issue, we explore the emerging research and practices of social prescribing for the arts (SPA) and discuss the future of SPA efforts as a vital component of arts and health services in the U.S., especially for older adults. This issue starts framing answers to key questions related to the challenges and opportunities this practice surfaces in healthcare and creative aging. Featured in this issue is a recorded conversation between three leading experts on SPA in the U.S.: Tasha Golden, S. Sudha, and Käthe Swaback.
*This email is an abridged version of our our full issue, which contains in-depth analysis and numerous resources on social prescribing. You can read the full issue here.
Paradigm Shift: Advancing the Cultural Rights of Older People
A Free, Virtual Convening on June 6 and 7, 2023
The 3rd annual International Creative Aging Summit channeled the collective energy of more than 250 arts and aging leaders from around the globe towards an investigation of the profound shifts needed — individually and collectively — to champion and adequately invest in older adults’ creativity and cultural agency.
Through facilitated conversations and peer-to-peer exchange, this dynamic and collegial convening connected a worldwide network of colleagues working in diverse communities and sectors to advance creative aging. The Summit was designed for those who develop, deliver, and/or support arts programs by, with, and for older people including professionals from the social and aging services, and the technology, education, cultural, heritage, housing, and health sectors.
Hosted by a different country each year, the 2023 Summit was organized by Lifetime Arts (United States) in collaboration with Creative Ageing Development Agency (CADA) in England and Armas-festival, City of Helsinki, and Koy Kaapelitalo in Finland.
