National survey results: Ageism heads the list of challenges in developing teaching artist training in Creative Aging

This first report of three national surveys investigating Creative Aging and Teaching Artistry offers an interesting snapshot of the state of teaching artist training in Creative Aging. 50 arts organizations told us about their programming for older adults and whether and how they provide training for teaching artists.

No surprise that ageism was cited as the greatest barrier to developing regular, ongoing and standardized training for teaching artists; it affects every aspect of our work. The report also confirms what we’ve suspected – there’s no common language or shared standards, a hodgepodge of training styles and formats – and no consistent or consequential funding.

But, as a field, what we do have is a passion for improving the lives of older adults through the arts, and a responsibility to build an infrastructure to support this important work. By identifying trends, service gaps and varying approaches to the work, this survey, and the others underway, will help us to do that. So, take a look at the Survey – and be on the lookout for the next reports.