As part of the Vitality Arts Project for Art Museums Initiative and through a partnership between Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange, Lifetime Arts will train up to 25 Arkansas-based teaching artists in best practices in planning, designing, promoting, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining successful creative aging programming. Training dates and details are listed below.

Creative Aging Foundations Training for Teaching Artists

September 19-21, 2022 from 9am-11am CT

In this three-day 6-hour virtual training for teaching artists, Lifetime Arts will provide an overview of the creative aging field, including an understanding of shifting demographics, different areas of practice, and the cross-sector nature of the work. Participants will leave the training with concrete, first steps to incorporate Creative Aging into their practice. Core curricular topics covered include:

• History of creative aging
• Current research on arts and aging
• Inherent biases about aging
• Best practices in the field
• What’s different about adult learning
• How to apply K-12 arts ed expertise to 55+
• How to develop responsive programming that is inclusive, diverse, and equitable

In addition to covering the topics included in the core Creative Aging Foundations training, this course also will feature the examination and demonstration of approaches for teaching adult learners and to the development of skill-based, sequential lessons for older adults. Additional curricular topics include:

• Exemplary programming from across this growing field across artistic disciplines
• Embedding intentional social engagement activities
• Impact of ageism on creative aging program design and delivery
• Best practices in both in-person and remote programming
• Creative aging curriculum development
• Partnering with older adult communities

Registration will be managed by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Registered trainees will be enrolled as users in the Lifetime Arts Portal, where they will access training materials, Zoom links, pre-reading, resources, and trainer bios.

• Janelle Redlaczyk, Head of Public Programs, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
• Julie Kline, Director of Education & Training, Lifetime Arts