The Arts Are Good For You
With his 2006 landmark publication “The Creativity and Aging Study: The Impact of Professionally Conducted Cultural Programs on Older Adults,” Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., demonstrated that participation in activities that foster creative engagement and skills mastery in a social environment has positive psychological, physical and emotional health benefits for older adults. Read the full research on the National Endowment for the Arts website.
Lifelong Arts Indiana is a learning opportunity for aging services providers and artists to develop their skills in providing creative experiences for older adults. The program is meant to empower participants to develop their own approach to sharing creative experiences with older adults, ages sixty-five and older, in their community— and provides access to the funds to help make it happen.
Lifelong Arts Indiana is split in two tracks, one for teaching artists and the other for aging services providers.
Teaching artists can apply to be a part of the Lifelong Arts Indiana Artist Cohort. Selected participants complete a virtual, four-day workshop which explores best practices in creative aging and strategies to develop an effective, sequential arts learning experience for older adults. The deadline to apply for the artist cohort is April 16, 2023.
Aging Services Providers can sign up for one of four free, in-person workshops. The training sessions are as follows:
April 28, 2023: Fort Wayne
June 23, 2023: Bloomington
Sept. 19, 2023: Evansville
Nov. 14, 2023: Gary
Aging services providers training participants will be eligible to apply for Lifelong Arts Early Action Grants, which fund a sequential arts-learning experience for a group of older adults in their community. Grants will be for up to $5,000 and must be led by a qualified artist.
Timeline
Deadline to Apply for Artist Cohort April 16, 2023,4:30pm ET
Invitations to join Artist Cohort Sent Week of June 12, 2023
Lifelong Arts Indiana Artist Training Course July 10 - 12, 2023 OR Aug 7-9 2023
Artist In-Person Meet Up *optional*August 20, 2023
Artist Early Action Grants Proposal Due September 7, 2023, 4:30pm ET
Artist Early Action Grant Implementation Period October 30, 2023 – April 30, 2024
Final Report Deadline June 7, 2024, 4:30pm ET