Creative Ageing Forum pack presentations from the Ausdance NSW advisory group on creative ageing

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On Monday 29 October, Ausdance NSW held the Creative Ageing Forum. It consulted with the dance sector and brought together a cross-section of academics, producers and program providers to discuss their current practice and the challenges working within this rapidly growing sector of the Australian population.

Forum delegates discussed several key questions including:

  • How do we ensure that we are legislating for safe practice and safe teaching?
  • How do we quantify what the tangible benefits of social inclusion really are and move towards a model of social prescribing?
  • What are the sector funding needs for established artists wanting to involve Elders in meaningful artistic activities?
  • And what is the social construct around who the professional dancer is and how do we create access and opportunity to lifelong learning?

The forum hosted keynote presentations from Sue Healey and Dr Katrina Rank in association with Ausdance Victoria. Sue Healey showed her recent film created with mature artists, including Eileen Kramer. Dr Katrina Rank discussed findings from her three-month study titled Leading and Teaching Dance to Ageing Populations.

They were joined by industry leaders: 

  • independent artist Jessica Conneely discussing Dance4wellbeing
  • Sonia York-Pryce discussing her PhD research ‘Ageism and the Mature Dancer'
  • Gail Hewton, founder and director of RIPE Dance 
  • Catherine Goss, Sydney coordinator and teacher for Dance for Parkinson’s 
  • Shelley Yacopetti, Education & Engagement Manager at the Royal Academy of Dance speaking on the Silver Swans Program 
  • Beatriz Occhiuzzi, Creative Director and founder of Salsa for Seniors
  • Gwen Korebrits, cofounder and CEO of Dance Health Alliance 
  • Liz Lea, Director of the BOLD Festival

Ausdance NSW would like to thank all the presenters and attendees for supporting this important area of the dance sector. If you are interested in or working in this sector and would like to discuss creative ageing, please contact Ausdance NSW.