What Next? Arts and Ageing Workshops and Clinics
As part of the What Next? Arts and Ageing Workshops and Clinics, I will be co-presenting an online workshop with SIRIUS Director Miguel Amado titled ‘What Are the Ethics of Engaging with Communities?’ 11 November, 10am–12pm. The What Next? Arts and Ageing Workshops and Clinics, are a culmination of learnings from the Creative Enquiry Arts and Older People Engagement project to be to creatively explore fresh approaches to arts engagement with older people and to advance best practice models.
What Are the Ethics of Engaging with Communities?
11 November, 10am–12pm
Miguel Amado, director of SIRIUS, delivers a workshop with artist Colette Lewis. Colette explored ways of collaborating with older people that are accessible and innovative, considering the specificities of operating within a regional context. Rather than emphasising final outcomes, she initiated relationships for the future. Miguel and Colette discuss the role of the arts in society: How might an arts organisation maintain links with participants after a project is ‘complete’? They provide guidance on the ethical imperative that an arts organisation should have today, particularly when working with older people, and how that might contribute to discussions of wider societal matters.
How do arts organisations connect with older people? In 2019, the Creative Enquiry – Arts and Older People initiative consisted of three residencies and engagement projects involving four artists hosted by three organisations: Cork Midsummer Festival with Marie Brett; MusicAlive with Helga Deasy and Susan McManamon; and SIRIUS with Colette Lewis. After two years, these partners are coming together to share their learnings through the ‘What Next? Arts and Ageing’ programme, which includes a Podcast series, workshops and clinics, and an e-publication.
The workshops and clinics offer an opportunity to discuss and reflect with artists, programmers, curators, and local authority arts officers regarding how to meaningfully engage with communities through the arts. They are aimed at staff members at arts organisations, artists and other creative professionals, community workers, health care professionals and policymakers.
The workshops are free but booking via SIRIUS’s Eventbrite page is required.