Creative Aging’s Inaugural Teaching Artist Roster Participants
By Kim Johnson, Director of Arts Access
In June 2021, twenty-four (24) artists and nonprofit arts organizations were trained by Lifetime Arts as part of the Creative Aging Tennessee II initiative and are now a part of the Tennessee Arts Commission’s (TAC) new Creative Aging Teaching Artist Roster. Located on TAC’s website, the Creative Aging Teaching Artist Roster highlights the first group of artists trained by Lifetime Arts to provide specific instruction in working with older adults. This training is crucial in building arts programming that creates sustainable, relevant outcomes for older adults in communities throughout Tennessee.
Lifetime Arts provided the training, coaching, consulting, and resources for Creative Aging Tennessee II. It increased their knowledge of techniques to engage older adults in arts programming and build capacity to provide curriculums that enhance arts participation. Training for participating artists lasted three (3) days in June. The trained artists represented various art disciplines, including theater, visual arts, music, crafts, and many more. To see the artist profiles, visit https://tnartscommission.org/creative-aging-teaching-roster/.
The building of this Creative Aging Tennessee Teaching Artist Roster is part of an initiative funded by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in partnership with Aroha Philanthropies. During Fiscal Year 2022, funding received by the TN Arts Commission for this initiative will also be used for a new Special Opps/Rolling Grants opportunity, Creative Aging Tennessee II. This grant will provide one-time non-matching funds up to $3,000 for nonprofit arts, senior service, or community organizations and governmental entities to support sequential arts learning for older adults aged 60+ to reduce social isolation and loneliness and increase creativity and artistic techniques. As an added incentive to use the artists on the new Creative Aging Teaching Artist Roster, all projects must be implemented by teaching artists on the new TN Creative Aging Teaching Roster. For more information on the Creative Aging TN II grant guidelines, visit https://tnartscommission.org/grants/special-opportunities-creative-aging-tennessee-ii/.
Interest forms must be submitted by January for a training slot in the next round of training by Lifetime Arts in late February 2022. For more information on the training or grants opportunity for Creative Aging Tennessee II, contact Kim Johnson, Director of Arts Access at 615-532-9797 or kim.johnson@tn.gov.
This activity is made possible by a grant provided by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in partnership with Aroha Philanthropies.
