“There is a fountain of youth; it is your mind, your talents,
the creativity you bring to your life and the lives
of the people you love. When you will learn to tap
this source, you will have truly defeated age.”
~Sophia Loren~
Creative Aging and the Arts (Part One)
The creative arts should be, to me, flexible and adaptable. Embracing new concepts, moving along with the social/economic/political spectrum, can allow new discoveries as well as keep things afloat. What good is it if you master your art, stick to that one idea, but the times have left you behind?
Arts administrations need to do the same, as the economic landscape has changed so drastically in the last five+ years. A new, or renewed, interest in Life Long Learners can be key in keeping organizations going well past the base of the school ages that many focus on.
What was inspiring to me was participating, through OPERA America, a section of the Open Opera Conference: Creative Resurgence. Opera companies are looking at involving the older adult population in more ways than just filling seats. A number of opera companies from across the US and Canada attended this day long workshop/program on Creative Aging, with many of them already utilizing interactive, participatory programs.
Storytelling is one of the primary arts disciplines that seems to be in wide use: delving into true life testimonials, musical works have been formed, from revues to full mini-operas. Being part of the creative process, the participatory input ranged from storytelling and writing to either performing the work or having professional singers enact their life stories. The librettos ranged from true life to fictionalized non-fiction.
In Creative Aging and the Arts (Part 1), I spoke about our morning session with Ms. Susan Perlstein, an advocate for the creative aging movement, and is the Founder Emeritus for the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA). In the afternoon two groups shared with the assemblage two recent projects that had just been completed: the pilot project I did with my musical collaborator Zach Redler for OPERA America, and Opera North’s latest operatic collaboration with an elder population.
Presentation: Transitions: Sung Stories
Opera North, Inc. worked with NewCourtland (a service for older adults) to produce Transitions: Sung Stories. Gathering oral history from Philadelphia, PA elders, Jules Tasca (Librettist) and Leslie Savoy Burrs (Composer and Executive Director of Opera North, Inc.) created a moving story that stemmed from the real life interviews.
Relating the details of the process to the group, both Mr. Burrs and Mr. Tasca laid out a professional program that produces positive results. In a video that showcases Mr. Burrs, we got to obverse how he interacted with a group of physically challenged elders. Working with a variety of percussive instruments, the participants helped lead Mr. Burrs, wielding a flute, to compose one of the pieces that became part of their opera.
What was apparent, watching the video, was how involved and engaged everyone was. No one just sat on the side, a spectator. This was a vibrant community coming together for a project that celebrates their lives, and also celebrates the worth they still have in the greater society.
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In Part Three of Creative Aging and the Arts, I’ll be discussing the work that I had the pleasure to experience with our group as well as responses/reactions of the attendees from the full day seminar.
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ATTENTION:
I am available for consulting on Inter-Generational Program Development
as well as Project Management/Facilitation
I am willing to travel or work over Skype with your organization
Please contact me at:
stuart.nager at gmail dot com
Li @Flash Fiction
Jun 19, 2012 @ 19:46:50
As our population ages, it becomes even more important to keep them as healthy and engaged as possible. The sorts of programs which you suggest and facilitate are instrumental not only in keeping the senior population healthy; it also helps to preserve their memories, stories, and histories for generations to come.
Stuart Nager
Jun 19, 2012 @ 19:47:52
Nicely put, Li. Thank you.
zencherry
Jun 19, 2012 @ 20:20:34
Engaged. I love that word especially when not in a premarital context.
Often are elders feel no longer useful. To be asked for their opinion and input is an invaluable tool in creating a visible society of elders who become the wise people they truly are.
Again, proud of you Stuart.
Stuart Nager
Jun 20, 2012 @ 07:55:32
Social engagement is part of the lexicon changes that come with all this. It’s going back to making the elders of the tribe still remain part of the tribe, not outcasts. . Thanks Maureen.
zencherry
Jun 20, 2012 @ 10:35:27
btw? our not are in my previous statement. I am recently decaffeinated in my defense. 😀
Roy A. Ackerman, PhD, EA@Cerebrations.biz
Jun 19, 2012 @ 22:32:23
The only problem is that who will have money to pay for this? As a certain party keeps stripping out government funds to insure that the rich can get richer…
Stuart Nager
Jun 20, 2012 @ 09:49:38
Roy, right now it’s going to happen through either grant money (which can be found; it’s what I was paid with) &/or the arts admins changing their budgets to meet this: again, mainly through grants. It’s not going to be easy: this is the start.
music2spark
Jun 20, 2012 @ 08:37:01
Engagement is key. In addition to contacting Stuart, consider working with the certified specialists in your area to creative, engaging programs including: music therapists, art therapists, dance therapists, creative arts therapists (to name a few). They have training and experience to make this an environment one that will meet the needs and abilities of your elderly population.
Stuart Nager
Jun 20, 2012 @ 09:25:02
the key thing here is: use PROFESSIONALS: properly trained to work with this population segment. There is a lot of work to do in this field.
Janette Fuller
Jun 20, 2012 @ 09:01:04
I think the elderly begin to feel invisible. This program is a wonderful opportunity for self-expression and creativity. I know that I feel joy and happiness when I am creating art, music and stories. That does not change with age.
Stuart Nager
Jun 20, 2012 @ 09:26:32
Janette: ;it’s been a youth based culture for so long. So many centers and homes just became drop off points, and they worked on Hospital methods (time to take this, time to sit and listen to this, etc) without taking into account much of anything else.
Lisa Wields Words
Jun 20, 2012 @ 09:23:07
This is so great Stuart! And so inspirational.
Stuart Nager
Jun 20, 2012 @ 09:26:58
There’s a lot of work to do here. Thanks Lisa.
Lisa Wields Words
Jun 20, 2012 @ 09:28:46
Perhaps we will create a project together one of these days. Stranger things have happened. 😉
Bonnie - Your Better Living Maven!
Jun 20, 2012 @ 13:36:09
What a Wonderful program. It seems that we have forgotten to appreciate the wealth of wisdom and experience we can find in our elders. I love hearing that they are being drawn into something that allows them to share their stories in an engaging and creative way.
MuMuGB
Jun 22, 2012 @ 09:06:01
What a great program and what a great idea! There is so much untapped potential out there, and I would like to think that your initiative with bring generations closer.
Stuart Nager
Jun 22, 2012 @ 09:37:50
Thanks Muriel. I’m trying my best.
Nursing Homes
Jul 02, 2012 @ 06:24:08
I really enjoyed reading your post, it was very informative and I have bookmarked your site for future reference. Thanks you very much