Experience Aging through Art at the ASA East Coast Conference here in Philadelphia

Creative Arts & Aging Network
is presenting

"Creative Connections: Experience Aging through Art."

at the American Society on Aging's (ASA)
East Coast Conference on Aging

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

at the
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging 

642 North Broad Street (Broad and Wallace Streets)

Center City Philadelphia.

This September ASA, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, is offering cutting-edge programs and continuing education for professionals who work with older adults. And Creative Arts & Aging Network will be there! “Creative Connections: Experiencing Aging through Art,” will feature two sessions:
Morning Session:* Experiencing Aging through Art Part I (9:30-12:30)
The morning intensive is designed to help staff working in the aging field find and develop the resources necessary to implement arts programming for older adults. A panel of arts, humanities and local professionals will discuss the opportunities available that provide professional arts programming and/or funding.
Afternoon Session:* Experiencing Aging through Art Part II (1:30-4:30)
During the afternoon intensive, professional teaching artists (experienced working with older adults) will explore the opportunities for to artists to bring creativity to aging services The need for older adults to nurture creative expression and find meaning through the arts will be explored from the vantage point of  artists as teachers. Adaptations for well elders will be the focus, but frail elders, and elders with dementia will be discussed as well. Workshop participants will also engage in a hands-on sensitivity learning activity focused on what it may be like to have diminished senses as part of the natural aging process.

Early Registration (Paid registration received on or before August 31, 2010)
Half-Day:  $70 each (Members) or $85 each (Non-Members)
Full-Day (includes box lunch):  $150 each (Members) or $170 each (Non-Members)

Late/On-site Registration (Paid registration received on or after September 1, 2010 and for on-site registrants, Last day for online registration is Sept 10, 2010 Midnight EST)
Half-Day: $85 each (Members) or $100 each (Non-Members)

*Yes, we know. The Conference Brochure (p. 13) lists our morning program as the teaching artists session and our afternoon program as the arts and humanties professionals panel. However, the session times ARE as listed above. What would a conference be without just a little confusion?!

When it comes to social media IS ignorance bliss? Take Notes!

Ignorance is not always bliss. In a great, free e-book, Social by Social, the authors (Andy Gibson, Nigel Courtney, Amy Sample Ward, David Wilcox and Prof. Clive Holtham) believe that all successful projects are supported by some common principles and guidelines. And these principles and guidelines can be applied to all "social by social" projects.

It’s time for the social sector to catch up. There is a new social infrastructure being built, and we can use it to make the world better. This book explains how to do it, and what might happen if we do...

This book has been designed as a training manual and reference guide about technology and social media for people at all levels of experience – and scepticism. You can dip into particular sections and use it for reference, or read it in sequence to get a better understanding of how everything fits together.

Social by Social, has come up with 38 propositions as their "collaborative manifesto for successful social by social projects." Here are just 11 of them:

• Never assume, always ask. You can’t know what your community wants from you without asking, and they are waiting to be asked. Be specific, define the issue and let the answers pour in. Then be transparent about your next moves.
• Content is king. Providing great content – resources, information, stories, connections, conversations – means new users will find you and others will stick with you. Give people easy ways to share this content too, freely and openly.
• Learn to listen before you start talking. Good conversations require good listeners more than good talkers. Listen first to find out what people want to hear.
   
• Be consistent. Whatever you say in public, remember you are talking to everyone, all the time, so stay true to your principles.
   
• All energy is good energy. If people are taking the time to criticise you, they are already engaged. Listen to their concerns and find ways to bring them in.
   
• You can’t learn to fly by watching the pilot. If you want to understand new technologies, start using them. Dive in.
   
• Start small. It’s always better to build too little than too much. Beware of specifying costly systems until you are absolutely familiar with the tools and know how people would use them.
   
• Keep it sociable. If you want action, leave room for social in teractions and personal stuff, not just w orthy, productive topics. Playful, human in teractions build trust.
• Be a pirate. There’s so much free stuff out there just waiting for you. Make use of what others have shared and save your energies for what you’re best at.
   
• Empty rooms are easier to redecorate. Be fast and loose with evolving your platform in the early stages, but be cautious of changing things once people start relying on it.
   
• Failure is useful. If you want to know what works, learn from what didn’t.

Social by Social has a "Jargonbuster" section as well as lots of Tools and Resources. Throught the book you'll find short practical guides on “how to” do various technical tasks, such as:

p. 35  will show you How to find and join the conversations that are already happening
p. 37 will help you Getting started with social technologies

p. 180 will tell you How to subscribe to an RSS Feed and How to create a Google Alert 

p. 178 gives you 10 Search Engine Optimisation tips

p. 181 will show you How to use Delicious.com and How to Choose tags for your organisation

p. 185 tell you How to use blogging to improve your search engine position

Take Notes! Download your free Social by Social PDF here. Do it right now. You'll be glad to have this resource. (And it's well worth the price!)

Remind Me Again Why I Need a Facebook Page...

Still not sure you need a Facebook Page? Yes, you really do need one. In a recent post Brian Geyser over at Carenetworks Blog shared some reasons why:

The fact is that senior living executives [or aging services staff or artists] need to begin to embrace these new social technologies and, over time, become fluent in social media in order to keep their companies (and themselves) relevant. Why do I say this? Consider these facts:

• The Internet as we know it is only 14 years old

• Facebook alone has over 500 million active users and by numbers is the 3rd largest country in the world behind China and India - Yes Facebook's population outnumbers the U.S.
• The fastest growing demographic on Facebook is Boomers and Seniors
• The fastest growing segment on Facebook is females age 55-65
• 47% of Boomers maintain a profile on the social web
• In 2009 there were 18 million active online seniors
• Seniors spend 58 hours per month online
• 96% of Millennials have joined a social network  

So, yes, you really do need a Facebook Page. If you want your message to reach Boomers and Seniors, you need to go where they're at. And Facebook is where they're at. 

To get started, re-read our Let's Review Facebook post.

Have you "liked" our Creative Arts & Aging Network's Facebook Page yet?

Facebook Model

Photo by Bryan Veloso

Don't Forget to RSVP to Our Arts & Aging Event--Just 3 Weeks Away!

The Arts for All Ages:
aA Creative Conversation
Thursday, May 20, 2010

5:30 – 8:00 PM

at

The William Way Community Center

1315 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-732-2220

Have fun meeting other people,

and enjoy a lovely spring night immersed in the arts!

• Hear from artists and professionals about the impact that art has in the lives of older adults.
• Learn about local organizations that are promoting arts and aging opportunities.
• Bring business cards to swap, along with flyers, postcards, brochures about your organization to share on the Creative Conversation Resource Table.
• Wine, refreshments and networking begins at 5:30, followed by an Interactive Art Panel
• Organizations represented on the Panel include:

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists
Philadelphia Theatre Company
Kennett Area Senior Center

Philadelphia Senior Center

(and the project: The Best Day of My Life So Far)

---

 RSVP on our Event Page at Eventbrite

or call Meaghan Brown at 215-665-2456

---

The Arts for All Ages: A Creative Conversation is part of Celebrate Arts and Aging, the month-long festival presented by Philadelphia Corporation for Aging and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance in honor of Older Americans Month May 2010

Sponsored by

and supported by     

Holiday Party with Italian Festive Sparkling Wines
Photo by AltaCucinaSociety

You Are Invited to a Creative Conversation!

The Arts for All Ages:

A Creative Conversation

Thursday, May 20, 2010

5:30 – 8:00 PM

at

The William Way Community Center

1315 Spruce Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Hear from artists and professionals

about the impact that art has in the lives of older adults.

Learn about local organizations

that are promoting arts and aging opportunities.

Have fun meeting other people and

enjoy a lovely spring night immersed in the arts!

Network and enjoy light refreshments and wine at 5:30

Art Panel and Discussion at 6:00

Hear from artists, older artists, storytellers and more . . .!

Bring business cards to swap,

along with flyers, postcards, brochures

about you or your organization

to share on the Creative Conversations Resource Table.

RSVP to Meaghan at 215-665-2456

or RSVP on our Facebook Event Page

Sponsored by Creative Arts & Aging Network

and William Way Community Center

and supported by Generation Appreciation Philadelphia (GenPhilly)

Holiday Party with Italian Festive Sparkling Wines
Photo by AltaCucinaSociety

Celebrate Creativity!

Please join CAAN at
the Main Line Art Center

on

September 15th, 2009

9:00-11:00 a.m.

Making movements in the community
to unite older adults and the arts.

A great opportunity to

• share information about upcoming shows, classes, or events
• to network with people in arts and/or aging organizations
• to meet teaching artists in our community!

See the results of CAAN's first ArtVenture Program, sponsored by the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and the MetLife Foundation.

Meet Todd Darr, CAAN’s business consultant through the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia. Todd is helping CAAN develop a successful business plan to propel the Creative Arts and Aging Network successfully into the future.

This event is being hosted at the Main Line Art Center, where you are invited to view the 72nd Annual Faculty Exhibition, celebrating MLAC’s award-winning, professional Teaching Artists and honoring four faculty members who have provided over 20 years of creative inspiration, Robert Finch, Carol Kardon, Francine Shore and Nury Vicens.

9:00 Continental Breakfast
9:30 CAAN Update & Introduction to Main Line Art Center
10:00 Meet & Greet, Network, View 72nd Annual Faculty Exhibition

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity!

Main Line Art Center: 746 Panmure Road Haverford, PA 19041 [Phone] 610.525.0272

Please RSVP to Meaghan: 610-325-1496 or brownmea@mlhs.org by September 8, 2009