Creative Aging Network-NC (CAN-NC) is set to host North Carolina’s inaugural conference on “social prescribing” with its Creative Aging Symposium: “Arts on Prescription” on March 26th in Charlotte, NC. This pioneering event, sponsored by Southminster, will focus on the transformative potential of creative engagement for health and well-being.
The highly interactive event will feature prominent leaders in the fields of creative aging and human development, including Keynote Speaker Heather Ikemire, Executive Director of Lifetime Arts, a leading creative aging training and advocacy organization. A visionary leader, strategist, and long-time creative aging advocate with over 20 years of experience in arts education and nonprofit management, Heather will present a bold vision for a world free from ageism and social isolation, where creative aging is embraced as a fundamental human right and essential to well-being.
Other notable speakers include Christina Tsoules Soriano, Reynolds Professor of Dance at Wake Forest University, who will introduce IMPROVment®, a movement method to help assist the balance, mobility, cognition and quality of life of older adults living with neurodegenerative.
Mary Fridley who is on the faculty at the East Side Institute in NYC, co-creator and leader of The Joy of Dementia (You Gotta Be Kidding!), and coordinator of Reimaging Dementia: A creative Coalition for Justice will explore the vital role of play and creativity across all stages of life. Additionally, Sudha Shreeniwas, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at UNC Greensboro, will present findings from a National Endowment for the Arts-funded study exploring the effectiveness of arts-based social prescribing in the U.S. healthcare system, particularly for older adults.
Social prescribing is a way for healthcare providers to address patients’ health and well-being by connecting them to a range of nonclinical services, often community arts and cultural activities. “In countries like Greece and the UK, social care is an accepted concept and practiced widely,” says CAN-NC Executive Director, Lia Miller. “Unfortunately, social services in the U.S. often face stigma. ‘Arts on Prescription’ will investigate innovative ways to promote and implement this important practice to keep us healthier as we age.”
At the event participants will learn about successful practices, identify existing resources for the aging population, and brainstorm pilot efforts and guidelines for arts prescribing in North Carolina.
The symposium will take place at:
Holiday Inn Charlotte University 8520 University Executive Park Dr Charlotte, NC 28262
Register by March 12th at https://can-nc.org/creativeagingsymposium.
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Creative Aging Network-NC (CAN-NC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to provide innovative arts programming and education to enhance the well-being and social connection among aging adults throughout North Carolina. The CAN-NC campus, located just 3 miles from downtown Greensboro, NC, serves as a site for intergenerational and multicultural engagement, collaboration, and education.
For more information about CAN-NC and its programming, please contact Executive Director Lia Miller at lia@can-nc.org or 336-303-9963.
