Teens and ‘grand people’ make creative mix
Youth and age were colourfully combined in an art exhibition entitled ‘Our Garden’ which formed part of the South Australian Living Artists (SALA) festival at Pembroke School in association with care provider, ECH, this month.
Year 10 students assisted a group of older people attending the ECH Walkerville Day Program to express their creativity in a series of artworks created during an 11 week Arts Inclusion Project.
“Participants in our Dementia Day Program, who experience varying degrees of memory loss, enjoyed the opportunity for creative expression as well as the camaraderie provided by artists young and old,” said ECH chief executive, Rob Hankins.
Through their community care studies, the students “were given a rare insight into the lives and skills of some of our valued older people,” commented Michael Ferrier, director of visual arts at Pembroke School.
The project is a great example of how older people can share their experiences with the community at large, an idea backed by Aged and Community Services Australia’s ‘Grand Plan’ campaign.
“As providers, we should aim not only to provide care but also recognition of the wealth of experience that our residents and clients have and seek opportunities to introduce the broader community to them through collaborative projects,” Mr Hankins said.
“Our Grand People need our support but they also have much to give … you just have to ask the year 10 students at Pembroke.”
