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Encore Creativity for Older Adults

Encore Creativity for Older Adults’ guiding mission is to create meaningful arts experiences supporting lifelong learning, wellness, and fun for all older adults. We envision a world where all older adults have a place in the arts.

Encore is the nation’s largest choral arts organization for adults 55 and over. With over 40 ensembles (and growing!) nationwide, and over 1500 singers ages 55 to 99, Encore is a leading organization in the field of creative aging. Encore’s programs include traditional choral music performances, Encore ROCKS groups singing rock ‘n’ roll hits from the 50s and beyond, therapeutic Arts for Life programs for individuals with early- to mid-stage cognitive change and their care partners, and online Encore University classes to supplement our singers’ musical journeys.

Frail, Frump, and Forgotten: A Report on the Movie Roles of Women of Age

From the Report:

This is the first global study to systematically analyze representations of older adults, with a specific focus on women ages
50+ in entertainment media. A majority of older adults (77%) have experienced ageism, most commonly being treated as frail or shown disrespect because of their age.1 In this study, we examine the extent to which entertainment media contributes to ageism by erasing older adults and presenting them in stereotypical ways in the top-grossing films of 2019 in Germany, France, the UK, and the US.

Aging in Place: A Guide to Growing Older at Home

From the RetireGuide website:

Aging in place is the process of staying in your own home as you grow older instead of moving to an outside facility. To properly age in place, you should create a budget, discuss options with your family, connect with home health services and identify necessary home modification projects.

Key Takeaways

  • The term “aging in place” refers to the ability of older adults to live in their homes and communities safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of their age, income or abilities.
  • Examples of aging in place include seniors living in their homes and receiving Meals on Wheels or living in a retirement community so that transportation isn’t a concern.
  • Aging in place is best suited for those who have good health, a strong support system and minimally maintained, fully paid off homes.
  • Accessibility may mean a one-floor home or having accessible bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs.
  • Some of the most important aspects of aging in place include living independently, safely and financially soundly.

British Society of Gerontology Creative Ageing SIG (England)

‘Established in 1971, The British Society of Gerontology (BSG) provides a multidisciplinary forum for researchers and other individuals interested in the situations of older people, and in how knowledge about aging and later life can be enhanced and improved. The BSG’s Ageing Issues Blog has attracted many contributors on the topics of aging and social engagement during COVID-19. The Creative Ageing SIG reflected on ‘A world turned upside down: Responding creatively to COVID-19’ and shared reflections on the first online BSG2020 Creative Ageing SIG symposium. The President of BSG, Thomas Scharf, weighed in on aging and COVID-19 on a Lancet Voice podcast.’ (Scroll down to access ‘Old Age and COVID-19’.)

BSG Creative Ageing SIG

The Creative Ageing Special Interest Group is a vibrant community of interest. It is cross-disciplinary and international, as a rapidly evolving evidence-base demonstrates the potential for creativity to contribute widely within the lives of individuals and communities. Established in February 2019, the SIG now has over 130 international members from research, policy-making and practice. It is FREE to join.

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

IMLS is a federal agency. “The mission of IMLS is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.”

Creative Aging Focus:

IMLS supported several creative aging programs including Creative Aging in New York’s Libraries and Creative Aging in America’s Libraries. Both were multi-year, multi-library and multi-state initiatives that provided training, technical assistance and seed programming.

Grantmakers in Health

“Grantmakers In Health (GIH) is a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to helping foundations and corporate giving programs improve the health of all people. Its mission is to foster communication and collaboration among grantmakers and others, and to help strengthen the grantmaking community’s knowledge, skills, and effectiveness.”

Creative Aging Focus:

Grantmakers in Health includes creative aging resources and publishes articles, as well as information and opportunities, focusing on the arts and healthy aging.

Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA)

“COSLA is an independent organization of the chief officers of state and territorial agencies designated as the state library administrative agency and responsible for statewide library development. Its purpose is to provide leadership on issues of common concern and national interest; to further state library agency relationships with federal government and national organizations; and to initiate cooperative action for the improvement of library services to the people of the United States.”

Creative Aging Focus:

COSLA, in collaboration with Lifetime Arts, promotes creative aging to state libraries through webinars, live presentations, surveys and partnership development efforts.

American Library Association (ALA)

“The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is ‘to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.'”

Creative Aging Focus:

The ALA’s Public Programs Office has partnered with Lifetime Arts to host two pre-conferences at the annual ALA conference. ALA/PPO partnered with Lifetime Arts and Westchester Library System for the IMLS National Leadership projects in 2011 and 2014. Programming Library, their online journal, hosted multiple blogs highlighting library-based creative aging programs from all over the U.S.

American Alliance of Museums (AAM)

“The American Alliance of Museums’ (AAM) mission is to champion museums and nurture excellence in partnership with our members and allies. Since 1906 the Alliance has been a leader in developing best practices and advocating for museums, as well as providing a host of opportunities to museum staff and volunteers. More than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners benefit from the work of the Alliance.”

Creative Aging Focus:

The Alliance is collaborating with Aroha Philanthropies and Lifetime Arts to usher a museum cohort through their creative aging program, Seeding Vitality Arts in Museums. Twenty museums are participating and you can follow their stories on the Alliance’s Ad Summa blog, which aims for the highest and best exploration of arts and aging, with a focus on museum practice.