WIXLIB

Kairos Dance TheatreMaria Genné, Artistic DirectorMinneapolis, MNLevine School of MusicLisa Shaw, Former Directorof Adult ProgramsWashington, DCLiz Lerman Dance ExchangeJohn Borstel, Humanities DirectorTakoma Park, MDThe Luella Hannan Memorial FoundationPam Halladay, Senior Program OfficerDetroit, MIMemories in the MakingLa Doris “Sam” Heinly,National Program ConsultantNewport Beach, CANational Coalition of CreativeArts Therapies AssociationsLaura Greenstone, ChairSilver Spring, MDNational Institute of Senior CentersBeverly Ferry, DelegateExecutive Director, Wabash CountyCouncil on Aging, Inc.Wabash, INNational Center for Creative AgingSusan Perlstein, Founder,Director of Education and TrainingWashington, DCNational Endowment for the ArtsBarry Bergey, Director,Folk and Traditional ArtsWashington, DCNew Horizons MusicRoy Ernst, FounderCorning, NYNew Jersey Office of Area Agencyon Aging AdministrationTina Wolverton, DirectorTrenton, NJNew Jersey Departmentof Health and Senior ServicesPat Polansky, Assistant Commissioner,Division of Aging and Community ServicesTrenton, NJNew Jersey Intergenerational OrchestraSusan Peterson, Vice Presidentand Administrative DirectorCranford, NJThe OASIS InstituteMarcia Kerz, PresidentSt. Louis, MOOsher Lifelong Learning InstituteNational Resource CenterKali Lightfoot, DirectorPortland, MERoland Corporation U.S.Lynda SmithLos Angeles, CA

The Seasoned PerformersMartha Haarbauer, Executive DirectorBirmingham, ALSPIRAL Arts, Inc.Jean Badran, Director of Elder ArtsPriscilla Dreyman, Executive DirectorPortland, MEStagebridge Senior Theatre CompanyStuart Kandell, DirectorOakland, CATimeSlipsAnne Davis Basting, Founder and DirectorMilwaukee, WIYamaha Corporation of AmericaMike Bates, Director, Institutional andCommercial Services, MMGBuena Park, CA

IntroductionCreativity. According to the Random HouseUnabridged Dictionary, it is “the ability totranscend traditional ideas, rules, patterns,relationships, or the like, and to createmeaningful new ideas, forms, methods,interpretations, etc.” A more concise definition is “bringing something new of valueinto existence.” The etymology of “creativity,”however, is what resonates for those of uswho are passionate about embedding thearts — or creativity — in the lives of olderadults and the communities in which theylive. The word comes from the Latin creatus,which means “to have grown.” Older adultshave grown in knowledge and experience,and we should value them for what theycontribute to each of us individually andto our communities.The arts are the key. They enable us tocommunicate effectively within and betweengenerations, making sense of and reconcilinglife experiences, understanding and celebrating the present, and creating a legacy forthe future. They also allow us to experimentwithout fear of failing — to be challenged —and to succeed in learning new skills anddiscovering latent ones. Strengtheningconnections among older adults, family,friends, residents, and caregivers, the artscreate a sense of community in which eachperson’s contribution is respected. In sum,the arts enhance quality of life.No matter what their age or their physicalor mental ability, older adults can andshould participate in the arts. And not justany arts, but high-quality, participatoryarts programs conducted over a significantperiod by professional teaching artists.The National Guild of Community Schoolsof the Arts, the National Center for CreativeAging, and the New Jersey PerformingArts Center believe that the arts are of vitalimportance to the lives of current and futuregenerations of older adults. Many leadersin the arts, healthcare, and aging servicesindustries share this belief, but too few havecreated or sustained effective arts and agingprograms. Now is the time to be part of theprocess, part of the solution: the “beyondbingo” generation is here.This resource is designed for leaders andprogram staff in public, nonprofit, andfor-profit arts and humanities organizationsand institutions and in healthcare and agingservices organizations, corporations,and institutions. It is intended to increasethe expertise of those who direct existingcommunity arts and aging programs andto give others in the community the toolsto take the first step — and keep going.xvii

This information will also benefit:nnn Teaching artists who want to workwith older adults Leaders and staff of lifelong learningorganizations and programs (such ashigher education) who are interested inintentionally including the arts in theircurriculums Private- and public-sector funders whoneed to define effective practices beforecreating or revising guidelinesThe Arts and Aging Toolkit will help you:nnnnnnnn Appreciate why this is a pivotal timefor arts and aging in the United States Understand that older adults continueto learn and benefit from education Learn about the aging services field Learn about the arts fieldand community arts Discuss the benefits of professionallyconducted, participatory arts and agingprograms with a variety of stakeholders(elected officials, funders, partners,and policymakers) Design, implement, market, support,evaluate, and sustain these programsfor older adults Find and train teaching artists whoare directly responsible for deliveringprogramsEnhancing quality of life by embeddingthe arts in the lives of older adults and thecommunities in which they live is more thana goal. It is one facet of a broader movementin the arts and aging services fields: a pushtoward designing or redesigning communityso that the infrastructure works harmoniouslyto support everyone’s needs as defined by allcommunity members.How to Use This ToolkitIf you are reading this resource, chancesare you want to develop a new arts and agingprogram or enhance an existing one. Youmay be an experienced program designeror someone just starting out. You probablyidentify with or work in the arts or agingservices fields. You may be hoping foranswers — knowledge, rationales, tips,models, and resources — and this toolkit isintended to provide them. Your commitmentand passion for older adults and the arts willhelp you face the challenge and make thedifference between success and failure.Chapters 1 through 5 provide the background to help you design and implementan arts and aging program. These chaptersexplain the context for arts and aging today;the benefits of arts participation for olderadults; issues, infrastructure, and opportunities in the aging services and arts fields;and effective practices for arts and agingprograms. Locate advice, training, and assistanceChapters 6 through 9 offer practical,how-to guidance for program designand implementation; program evaluation;and public awareness. These chaptersillustrate important concepts with concretexviiiCREATIVITY MATTERS THE ARTS AND AGING TOOLKIT

examples from successful programs.You can learn something from all of them,whether they are focused on well or frailelders, people who live in the communityor in a residential facility, or older adultswith dementia.We have designed this toolkit for a varietyof experience and interest levels. Manyreaders will find something of interestin every chapter, and others will browsethe sections that are most relevant tothem. Here is a roadmap to make thetoolkit work for you:If you are Read Just starting out or interested in this subjectThe entire toolkitAn older adult who wants to learn how to ageproductivelyChapters 1, 2, and 6, which explainnormal aging and the benefits, challenges,and outcome goals of effective arts andaging programsExperienced in the arts and aging fieldChapter 2 to refresh your existingarguments about benefits and chapter 8to understand the value of outcomeevaluationWorking in the aging services or arts fieldsand want to convince others of the valueof arts and aging programsChapters 1 through 5A teaching artistChapter 1 to understand normal agingand chapters 6 and 7 to understandprogram design and implementationA private- or public-sector funderChapters 1, 2, and 5 for backgroundon arts and aging programs and anexplanation of effective practicesA family member of an older adultChapter 1 to understand normal agingand chapter 2 to learn about rationalesthat can convince senior centers, adult dayprograms, and long-term care facilitiesto offer professionally conducted participatory arts programsxix

Basic TermsBefore you begin, it is helpful to learnthese definitions:Aging services field — Organizations, corporations, institutions, and individuals suchas the Administration on Aging, state unitson aging, local-level area agencies on aging,senior centers, continuing care retirementcommunities, corporations or foundationsthat own these communities, healthcarefocused community organizations (such asthe Alzheimer’s Association and the VisitingNurse Association), family and professionalcaregivers, adult day programs, and hospitals(see chapter 3).Arts field — Public, nonprofit, and for-profitarts organizations and institutions, such asthe National Endowment for the Arts, stateand local arts agencies, regional arts organizations, community schools of the arts,individual artists, arts education organizations, organizations focused on the literaryarts, community-based organizations,musical instrument manufacturers, artistmaterials manufacturers, performing artscenters, presenting organizations, museums,symphonies, and dance, opera, and theatercompanies (see chapter 4).xxArts and aging field — Organizations andindividuals in the arts and aging servicesfields who are focused full-time or part-timeon providing sustained, high-quality, professionally led, participatory, community artsprograms to older adults.Community — A physical and socialconstruct that includes cities, neighborhoods,apartment buildings, condominiums,residential facilities (for example, independent living, assisted living, skilled care/long-term care), and a group of peoplewho interact and share certain thingssuch as values or proximity.Lifelong learning — A process of accomplishing personal, social, and professionaldevelopment throughout the lifespan ofindividuals in order to enhance the qualityof life of individuals and their communities.Lifelong learning also refers to educationalclasses, usually affiliated with a college,community college, or university, designedby or for older adults, and often taughtby older adults.The glossary at the end of this toolkit containsadditional definitions.CREATIVITY MATTERS THE ARTS AND AGING TOOLKIT

Creativity Opens DoorsIf you’re looking for a reason to start an artsprogram for older adults, the older adultsquoted throughout this toolkit offer eloquenttestimony. By her own description, Suzannecould not string three sentences togetherbefore she moved into an EngAGE: The Artof Active Aging community (formerly knownas More Than Shelter For Seniors). Aftershe began participating in writing and visualarts programs, she wrote a screenplay fora 10-minute film. Her story of reinvention,including the making of the film, was featuredin the Showtime series This American Life.She is now working on several other filmand stage projects.Suzanne’s enthusiasm speaks volumes aboutwhy creativity matters to older adults:I couldn’t believe that there would bea community for me at this time in mylife. I didn’t think I would be able to findsomething new inside of me. You knowthat same feeling when you got outof school and the whole world was opento you? Now, all over again, the wholeworld is open to me.xxi

I feel blessed to have found somethingat this juncture of my life — somethingthat not only fills my heart and souland challenges me, but somethingI can do for the rest of my life. It wasthe turning point in my life.Storyteller, StagebridgeSenior Theatre Company

1Understanding theContext for Arts andAging ProgramsToday, we have an opportunity to advance the arts and aging field. Susan Perlstein, founderof the National Center for Creative Aging (N CCA), describes the state of the field in the first yearsof the 21st century:Professionals in gerontology, social work, education, and the arts have developed a keeninterest in the theory and practice of creative work with elders. I attribute this in part tobiomedical advances against some of the more debilitating physical conditions of old age.We can now expect to live longer, healthier lives. I also think interest has increased as ourbaby boomers [born between 1946 and 1964] reach retirement.1Building on theories developed over 40 years by psychologists and gerontologists, the artsand aging field has grown slowly but steadily. Psychoanalyst and human development expertErik Erikson hypothesized in 1967 that human development continues through the lifespan.In old age, integration of our past failures and successes is our main psychological task.Reminiscence — the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences — had beenconsidered an unhealthy preoccupation until gerontologist Robert Butler linked it with Erikson’sideas about integration and recommended that reminiscence be encouraged. Butler’stheory — published in 1975 — paved the way for a blossoming of reminiscence models ingerontology. But until the late 1990s, creativity and the arts were missing from the big pictureeven though, in the mid- to late 1970s, artists were already working with older adults.

By 2005, there was clear evidence thatparticipation in the arts enriches the livesof older adults in multiple ways, thoughawareness of the potential was limited.At the third conference on creativity andaging, sponsored that year by the NationalEndowment for the Arts in partnership withNCCA, AARP, and NAMM: The InternationalMusic Products Association, arts leaderssought to move the arts onto the agenda ofthe 2005 White House Conference on Aging.Participants submitted resolutions for reviewby the conference’s policy committee, whichforwarded one to delegates for consideration.Ultimately, the delegates did not includean arts resolution among the 50 that wereapproved for further action, but the issuemade progress; it was ranked 58th.through art appreciation programs.Participation in arts activities may leadto intergenerational exchange of valuesand knowledge. For example, seniorsmay work together and with youngerpopulations to preserve the value of olderadults’ memories and life experiencesby recording their experiences and lifehistories in various mediums.Resolution: Increase awareness ofthe positive physical and psychologicalimpact that arts participation can haveon older Americans.2To explore the potential for advancing thearts and aging field, this chapter examines:nThe resolution states:nResearch suggests that active participation in the arts and learning promotesphysical health, enhances a sense of wellbeing among older Americans, improvesquality of life for those who are ill, andreduces the risk factors that lead to theneed for long-term care. Even thoughthere is an interest and participationin the arts by many older Americans,there is a general lack of awareness inthe public, healthcare, and social servicescommunities about the positive physicaland psychological impacts of arts participation. However, there is a valuableuntapped resource of older artists whocould be teachers or mentors in expandedarts programs for seniors. Older Americansmay be encouraged to participate indance, music, and visual arts activitiesand may choose to expand their horizons nnn Languageand attitudes we useto describe normal aging Physical-biologicaland social-emotionalchanges that occur during aging Shiftingdemographics of agingin the United States Productiveaging as a concept thatalters our view of growing old Big-picturechallenges that affectthe arts and aging fieldCREATIVITY MATTERS THE ARTS AND AGING TOOLKIT

Arts and Aging Policy: A Chronology1961The first White House Conference onAging sets the stage for Medicare,Medicaid, and the Older Americans Actof 1965. Conferences are convened everydecade: 1971, 1981, 1995, and 2005.1981The National Endowment for the Artsbrings together experts to articulatethe importance of arts and humanitiesfor older adults. The group deliversa resolution to the White HouseConference on Aging.1995The National Endowment for the Arts,National Endowment for the Humanities,and National Council on Aging sponsora second conference on the arts,humanities, and older Americans. JaneAlexander is the first Arts Endowmentchairman invited to keynote a WhiteHouse Conference on Aging.Describing Normal AgingAging is a progressive and cumulative processof change occurring throughout our livesand affected by many factors. Learning towalk as a toddler is an example of an agerelated change. We perceive these changesas negative only as we grow older.Most theories of aging have a common theme:It’s in your genes. Another major factor iseveryday wear and tear. While there is noone simple explanation, aging is affected by2001The new National Center for CreativeAging (NCCA) receives funding fromthe Arts Endowment to create a databaseof programs for older adults and tonetwork, train, and advocate for the fieldof creative aging.2005The Arts Endowment in partnership withNCCA, AARP, and NAMM: TheInternational Music Products Associationsponsors a conference on creative aging.Participants prepare a resolution for theWhite House Conference on Aging thatdelegates consider but do not formalize.2006The National Conference on Artsand Aging: Creativity Matters — the firstconference of its kind — is presentedby NCCA and the New Jersey PerformingArts Center. The 235 community-basedartists and representatives of healthcare,aging, education, and cultural organizations; foundations; corporations;and government agencies explorethe intersections among research,policy, and practice.intrinsic factors, such as heredity and agerelated changes, and extrinsic factors, suchas environment, disease, and lifestyle.We do slow down as we get older, but ourability to function isn’t necessarily affected.And each of us ages at a diff

v CREATIVITY MATTERS THE ARTS AND AGING TOOLKIT Introduct on xv Chapter 1 Understanding the Context for Arts and Aging Programs 1 Describing Normal Aging 3 The Language of Aging 4 Reality vs. Myth 4 Changes During Aging 4 Physical and Biological Changes 4 Social and Em