“National survey results: SAAs reveal strong interest in Creative Aging”

This is our second of three national surveys, investigating Creative Aging and Teaching Artistry. This survey addresses the roles that state arts agencies (SAAs) play in providing training for teaching artists in Creative Aging, and to what extent they support programming in this field. Forty-three SAAs and the District of Columbia responded to the survey. They were asked questions about training, grants, and programming opportunities for Creative Aging in their own states.

To no surprise, the survey revealed strong interest in Creative Aging among SAAs. However, it also revealed inconsistent policies to plan and allocate funds for programs and teaching artist training. While some SAAs currently have Creative Aging programs and services, most still need access to – and training in – program models, as well as cross-sector relationships with the healthcare and aging services departments in their states.

On a more positive note, most SAAs acknowledge that their state populations are rapidly aging and that they must respond to this broad demographic shift with new approaches to programming and funding. This survey has solidified what we assumed: SAAs are trying to do this work and do it well, but without training and a proper infrastructure in the field of Creative Aging, it is no easy task.  Join us in reviewing the results of this survey, and our previous survey on teaching artist training, to help move the field of Creative Aging further and in the right direction!

Be on the lookout for our final survey to come later this year with results of the first ever national survey of teaching artists in Creative Aging.