We received an interesting request from an artist in the UK, Jos Forester-Melville, who works on the HenPower Project at Equal Arts. HenPower encourages « older people to care for chickens. They then facilitate arts sessions using the chickens as a stimulus eg, art, film making, movement, photography etc. » HenPower is a project of Equal Arts which aims to « improve older people’s access to the arts. »
She is interested in learning about Seniors Arts initiatives in Canada and learning « how care staff can be supported to engage in the delivery of arts-based activities, developing practical approaches to encourage the improvement of health and well-being for older people. »
If you are aware of any arts organizations/arts and health initiatives/artists working with seniors or if you know of care farms within Canada, please send us an email at info@artbridges.ca or email Jos at jos@henpower.org!
Please visit HenPower’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/
Let’s take this opportunity to highlight some amazing community-engaged arts initiatives in Canada that work with seniors!:
- Arts Health Network Canada (National, based in Vancouver).
- Arts + Seniors Health Project in Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Blue Print for Life based in Ottawa, working in Northern Québec, across the Territories, and many other regions.
- Eglinton Hill Centre/St. Clair West Services for Seniors in Toronto, Ontario.
- Learning Elders Arts Program in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
- Scarborough Arts’ « Seniors Write Program« in Toronto, Ontario.
-Lisa, ArtBridges
photos and video posted with permission from Jos, HenPower