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National
Center for Creative Aging presents
'Creativity Matters' Symposium
WASHINGTON, May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
What are some of the best ways to keep older
Americans involved in the arts and their
community? The National Center for Creative
Aging (NCCA) has some innovative solutions,
which will be shared at the "NCCA-MetLife
Foundation Creativity Matters: Civic
Engagement Symposium," held in San
Francisco, California on June 15, 8:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m.
The one-day event, which is being held at
Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO)-Coleman
House, will focus on creating
intergenerational arts programs and is of
interest to the public, particularly aging
services providers, caregivers, or senior
artists interested in remaining active in
their community,
According to the American Society on Aging,
civic engagement, "encompasses actions
wherein older adults participate in
activities of personal and public concern
that are both individually life enriching
and socially beneficial to the community."
These activities include volunteering, paid
work, and involvement in the community.
A number of sessions will be held, the first
of which will provide an overview of civic
engagement and how it relates to aging and
the arts, presented by Tim Carpenter,
Executive Director and Founder, EngAGE,
Host/Producer, Experience Talks Radio Show.
After that, Gay Hanna, Executive Director of
NCCA, will present Gene Cohen's research,
"Beyond Bingo," a study of professionally
directed community based art programs and
the health of older adults.
Hanna will also highlight Above Ground, a
study conducted by the Research Center for
Arts & Culture, Columbia University's
Teacher College, of aging artists in New
York City and the unique ways in which they
remain productive members of society well
beyond the age of retirement and how their
work influences younger generations.
The morning session concludes with a look at
"best practice" programs, presented by Ken
Golden, MSW, EdD, Senior Advisor, Kenneth A.
Picerne Foundation, Jeff Chapline, MFA,
Director, Center for Elders and Youth in the
Arts of the Institute on Aging, and Stuart
Kandell, PhD, Executive Director,
Stagebridge.
The afternoon session will feature hands-on
training in Intergenerational Arts Program
Development Model -- Youth and Adult Ageline
Across Cultures, presented by Susan
Perlstein, MSW, Founder & Director of
Education and Training for the NCAA and
Founder of Elders Share the Arts in New York
City.
"This symposium showcases best-practice
programs that are designed to engage older
Americans in artistic activities that will
not only enrich their lives, but make a
positive impact on their communities," said
Dennis White, president and CEO, MetLife
Foundation. "MetLife Foundation is pleased
to support this initiative to broaden
creative partnerships throughout communities
in the United States."
For more information on registration,
programming or membership, please contact
the NCCA office at
info@creativeaging.org or (202)
895-9456. The cost of the seminar is $85 for
the entire day and $35 for the afternoon.
CEUs are available.
-- Above Ground is a study conducted by
Joan Jeffri, Director and Founder of The
Research Center for Arts and Culture (RCAC),
and Director of the graduate program in Arts
Administration at Teachers College, Columbia
University in New York City, examining the
aging visual artist population in New York
City. The study explores the ways older
artists embrace life producing implications
for the rest of the population.
http://arts.tc.columbia.edu/rcac/Aging_artists
-- Center for Elders and Youth in the
Arts (CEYA) of the Institute on Aging
provides year round visual and performing
arts programs for
seniors in assisted living, residential
communities, adult day programs, senior
centers, and even individual programs in the
home. CEYA brings art to seniors with the
goal of keeping them connected to the
community while helping them experience
improved physical and emotional
well-being.
http://ceya.ioaging.org/
-- EngAGE: The Art of Active Aging is a
nonprofit organization committed to
providing a whole-person approach to
creative and healthy aging through programs
in lifelong learning, arts and creativity,
intergenerational, community building, and
Experience Talks Radio Show. For more
information visit
http://www.engagedaging.org/
-- Kenneth A. Picerne Foundation is
focused on creating innovative
programs that promote healthy human
development. The foundation's Artist
Outreach Project provides support to senior
artists who have a desire to give back to
their communities through educational and
therapeutic services in community nonprofit
agencies serving children,
youth, adults and the elderly.
http://www.picernefoundation.org/
-- Stagebridge began in 1978 as an acting
class at a senior center and has developed
into a center where seniors come together to
act for other senior centers and elementary
schools. The plays performed deal with all
issues including crime, depression,
volunteering, stereotypes, technology, love
and sex.
http://www.stagebridge.org/aboutus.htm
The National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA)
was founded in 2001 and is dedicated to
fostering an understanding of the vital
relationship between creative expression and
healthy aging and to developing programs
that build on this understanding. Based in
Washington, DC, NCCA is a nonprofit with
2,500 members and is affiliated with The
George Washington University.
www.creativeaging.org
MetLife Foundation was established in 1976
by MetLife to carry on its long-standing
tradition of corporate contributions and
community involvement. The Foundation has
been involved in a variety of aging-related
initiatives addressing issues of caregiving,
intergenerational activities, mental
fitness, health and wellness programs and
civic involvement. More information about
the Foundation is available at
www.metlife.org.
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