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Subject: [ncca e_news] Creative Aging #20: In Review - National

Conference on Arts and Aging

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CREATIVE AGING <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

An e-newsletter of the National Center for Creative Aging

IN REVIEW: THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARTS AND AGING

- CREATIVITY MATTERS

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Please forward to interested colleagues.

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In this issue:

LETTER FROM SUSAN PERLSTEIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WRAP UP: THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARTS AND AGING

- CREATIVITY MATTERS

FALL 2006 NCCA BOARD AND NETWORKS MEETING

LOOKING BACK ON A GREAT EVENT: CONFERENCE COMMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Dear Readers,

Our very first " National Conference on Arts and Aging:

Creativity Matters " was as productive as it was inspiring.

Held in conjunction with (and at) the elegant New Jersey

Performing Arts Center, the event attracted leading policy

makers, practitioners and artists from across the country.

Arts and aging organizations attended, as did motivated

individuals. Participants discussed policy, programming

and best practices for engaging elders creatively wherever

they may be - within families, communities and long-term

care facilities.

Our conference generated a wealth of useful knowledge.

To get full value from it, the National Center for Creative

Aging and our partners aim to produce " The Arts and Aging

Resource Guide and Toolkit. " The guide will detail best

practices for creatively engaging elders and also include

evaluation tools. We anticipate making this resource

publicly available online. It will be structured to evolve

along with our knowledge base.

Realizing the next phase of our vision will require more

than our dedication and commitment. We also need funding

to continue our work within communities and at the state

and national levels. We ask you to give generously to

support the ongoing success of the National Center for

Creative Aging.

Creativity matters! Your contribution also matters a great

deal to us. Please mail your contribution to:

NCCA

138 South Oxford Street

Brooklyn, NY 11217

Thank you to everyone for your support throughout this last

year. We wish you a peaceful holiday season and New Year.

Sincerely,

Perlstein

Executive Director

National Center for Creative Aging

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WRAP UP: THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARTS AND AGING

- CREATIVITY MATTERS

Continuing to build momentum in the field of arts and aging,

the National Center for Creative Aging held a national

conference at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

in Newark, New Jersey. The event featured guest speakers

and performers, and provided opportunities for attendees to

network and brainstorm.

Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph. D., director of the Center on

Aging, Health and Humanities at Washington

University, spoke on the topic 'Why is the intersection

of Arts and Aging important?' and presented some of the

latest findings from the National Creativity and Aging

Study. National Endowment for the Arts' representative

a Terry presented an overview of the White House

Conference on Aging and the NEA's Mini National Conference

on Creative Aging, which developed recommendations to

guide national aging legislation. , the

executive director of the New Jersey State Council on the

Arts (NJSCA), presented the results of the New Jersey Summit

on Lifelong Learning in the Arts.

Attendees across the country also participated in

roundtables, networking sessions and workshops. These events

focused on a range of topics, including how to ensure that

older people have access as audiences/consumers and

enhancing the artistic excellence of arts programs that

focus on older people as participants. Several interactive

workshops featured " hands on " practitioners modeling the

best practices that allow arts to make a positive impact

on the physical, social and psychological benefits of

older people.

A number of special arts events were part of the conference

as well. The work of renowned photographer Chester Higgins

was featured in an exhibition entitled Elder Grace. Also

included were panels from NCCA's award-winning Art of Aging

Campaign. The Paradigm dance company under the artistic

direction of Gus Solomans Jr. vividly illustrated the

eloquence that years of experience can bring to dance

expression. In addition, Amatullah Saleem of Pearls of

Wisdom, the elder touring ensemble of Elders Share the

Arts, mesmerized the audience with her narrative art.

Kairos Dance Theatre and the Stagebridge theater company

presented its 'Culture Builds Community' performance,

and special guest actress and singer Uggams also

presented.

The conference provided an outstanding opportunity to bring

together professionals in the field so they can work

together to advance quality of life for older people and

their communities. With the support of our guest speakers,

performers and attendees, the event proved to be a

resounding success.

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FALL 2006 NCCA BOARD AND NETWORKS MEETING

Since its inception, NCCA has provided guidance and training

to a network of organizations that advance arts and aging

at the local level. During the conference, the NCCA Networks

held their annual meeting and engaged the New Jersey Arts

and Aging Communities in an open dialogue on the current

needs and services of the aging population.

Board president Ian L. Kelley and executive director

Perlstein honored Irwin Nesoff, the founding NCCA board

president. Dr. Gene Cohen briefly spoke about his study and

the scientifically proven benefits of artistic involvement

in the lives of older adults.

The networks also presented their progress reports and then

focused on upcoming goals in the areas of funding,

infrastructure, resources, education, public awareness,

elders' accessibility to arts, public awareness,

coordination between arts and needs, diversity, senior

center concepts and creating web resources.

The NCCA and its networks will convene again at the Joint

Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National

Council on Aging in Chicago, March 9, 2007, to further

clarify goals for the next three years.

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LOOKING BACK ON A GREAT EVENT: CONFERENCE COMMENTS

The Conference left everyone feeling excited about the

future of arts and aging. Here's what a few attendees

had to say...

" I was truly inspired by the conference this past weekend.

As a program coordinator of Council Senior Center in NYC,

and as a dancer/poet, I was truly inspired by the event as

it provided an opportunity for so many motivated, creative,

thoughtful and progressive people to come together. I know

that it took a tremendous amount of energy and dedication

to make such a conference a reality. "

-- Laurie Ludmer, dancer and poet

" I want to tell you that was one of the best conference

experiences of my life - Congratulations!! "

-- Alan Lynes, artist

" [We] just arrived home from New Jersey, tired yet happy and

fulfilled. The conference was magnificent. The hard work,

commitment and fervor of all involved was evident in every

facet of the event. Everyone I spoke with felt enthused with

the programs and workshops, the beauty of NJPAC, thehelpful

staff and volunteers and of course the food. "

-- Adeena Besdin, Training Director, Elders Share the Arts

" Congratulations on putting together a dynamic and valuable

conference. You are doing a fantastic job of keeping so

connected and bringing to light our critical needs. Thank

you again for giving me the opportunity to be a panelist/

presenter and for raising NEA's awareness of our best

practice and model programming. The honor is sincerely

hard-won and appreciated. "

-- Janine Tursini, Executive Director, Arts for the Aging

" Since I became an intern at the National Center for

Creative Aging, I heard numerous times that an 'Arts and

Aging Conference' was in the pipeline, and I would be

responsible to contributing to making it a reality.

Initially, while becoming a humble part of this

contribution, I couldn't grasp the totality of this event

until I encountered it face to face - it turned out to be

huge and greatly successful! "

-- Seema Iqbal, NCCA Intern

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

CENTER FOR POSITIVE AGING, NATIONAL-LOUIS UNIVERSITY

The Center serves individuals over the age of 50 in the

Chicago metropolitan area. The agency provides opportunities

for personal growth, intellectual stimulation and general

knowledge to the older population.

CREATIVE AGING AND ARTS NETWORK, MINNESOTA

The Creative Aging and Arts Network in Minnesota (MnCAAN)

invited local foundation leaders and artists of color to

its quarterly design team meeting on November 28, 2006.

The aim of this meeting was to spread more knowledge about

MnCAAN and get other organizations involved in discussions

on how MnCAAN can create partnerships. It also held an

information meeting on November 30, 2006, in the small

rural community of Zumbrota, as a first step in organizing

four other network events in the coming year.

ARTS AND AGING, KANSAS

Arts and Aging, Kansas held Town Hall Meetings that

discussed Creative Aging during the week-long Storytelling

as Art, Art as Storytelling (October 25-29) event. The

entire week was an excellent experience!

SOCIETY FOR CREATIVE AGING, COLORADO

Margi Ness has left the society (SCA), and Elsie Wood is the

new coordinator. She reports that SCA has collaborated with

Viva, Intergenerational Theatre Troupe, to present 'Festival

2006 - Then & Now' - a nostalgic, irreverent revue. This

annual festival on the topic of creative aging was a

fabulous success.It included activities such as 'The

Artist Lecture Series' that featured elder artists talking

about their creative process.

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This electronic newsletter is published by the

National Center for Creative Aging.

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