Page 191 - Guerin Media Ltd | Active Retirement Ireland Members Annual 2016
P. 191
AGE & OPPORTUNITY BE INFORMED
centres and it is a platform for the performances, to look at the kinds of services that are available in
projects, exhibitions that come from groups across their local communities to support them as their life
the country. changes.
CULTURAL COMPANIONS GET ENGAGED
We also run Cultural Companions, which is a peer net- As we age, Irish people have proved time and again
work of people who attend arts and cultural events that we still have a lot to contribute to our commu-
together. This began after hearing so many people say nities. Many of us, however, may not know where to
that they got out of the habit of attending concerts, start or have become caught up doing something
the theatre, cinema or other cultural events because else. Our workshops “The Community Effect” and
they had ‘nobody to go with’. Cultural Companions “Leading Together” help people to make a difference
provides a few friendly faces at events and a chance in their community. They explore the motivations to
to mix with some like-minded people. How can volunteering, helping people to come together and
someone get involved? explore the needs of their area and to come up with
AZURE ways of meeting those needs.
We are one of the partners on Azure, a programme WORKING WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS
that supports artistic experiences for people with While it is vital that we feel empowered as we age,
dementia and their carers. Our involvement in this it is also important that the service providers that
project comes from our belief that everyone should people come into contact with also understand that,
have access to the arts. When people develop as we age, we are a diverse group of people with
dementia because of Alzheimer’s or other conditions, different needs and desires. Without services that
it can cause obstacles to that access. Azure is about respect and value us as individuals, that listen to our
helping galleries and arts centres to run programmes voices and work with us to improve their services, it is
and events that are sensitive to the needs of people difficult to live life to the full.
with dementia and their carers. We have recently We run training courses that can lead to a QQI award.
delivered a training course, in partnership with the Creative Exchanges gives people the skills to
New York’s Museum of Modern Art, to thirteen arts facilitate meaningful arts activities in care settings
organisations. They have now committed to running for older people. This award-winning programme
events in 2016. brings together artist practitioners from different arts
SAMHAIN disciplines and others with related expertise to
Samhain uses the arts to reflect on challenging issues discuss different approaches and to lead participants
around ageing and resilience. While not for everyone, in arts activity. Another course, Group Facilitation
it looks at the darker side of ageing and provides Skills helps people to plan, deliver and evaluate
a space for reflection and discussion for those who group work sessions in a variety of settings such as
are ready to talk about topics like loss, illness, regret, community programmes, formal and informal
through arts-based activities. education settings. This helps facilitators to respond
Active Citizenship & Lifelong Learning to the views and voices of older people and work
In active citizenship and lifelong learning, we provide with them to agree and deliver programmes that suit
chances for people to learn and explore their ageing those older people.
in innovative ways, as well as providing training to AgeWise is a one-day workshop about ageism for
people who work with older people. everyone who works with older people. It explores a
lot of the assumptions we make about getting older,
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT a lot of the misapprehensions and a lot of the bad
At Age & Opportunity, we believe that ageing brings attitudes and limiting behaviours that can grow out
new opportunities and challenges but people of them. AgeWise brings the staff of organisations
often don’t take time to discuss these together. For a together to discuss how ageism and stereotypes
number of years, we have run the workshops “Taking affect their policy and the ways that people behave.
Stock” and “Ageing with Confidence”, to give people
that chance to discuss this next part of their lives, For details of these and other courses and events
how their relationships have changed with their please visit www.ageandopportunity.ie
families, what their aspirations are for the future and Telephone: +353 (0)1 805 7709
what they have let go. Taking Stock helps people Email: info@ageandopportunity.ie
www.activeirl.ie Active Retirement Ireland 191
centres and it is a platform for the performances, to look at the kinds of services that are available in
projects, exhibitions that come from groups across their local communities to support them as their life
the country. changes.
CULTURAL COMPANIONS GET ENGAGED
We also run Cultural Companions, which is a peer net- As we age, Irish people have proved time and again
work of people who attend arts and cultural events that we still have a lot to contribute to our commu-
together. This began after hearing so many people say nities. Many of us, however, may not know where to
that they got out of the habit of attending concerts, start or have become caught up doing something
the theatre, cinema or other cultural events because else. Our workshops “The Community Effect” and
they had ‘nobody to go with’. Cultural Companions “Leading Together” help people to make a difference
provides a few friendly faces at events and a chance in their community. They explore the motivations to
to mix with some like-minded people. How can volunteering, helping people to come together and
someone get involved? explore the needs of their area and to come up with
AZURE ways of meeting those needs.
We are one of the partners on Azure, a programme WORKING WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS
that supports artistic experiences for people with While it is vital that we feel empowered as we age,
dementia and their carers. Our involvement in this it is also important that the service providers that
project comes from our belief that everyone should people come into contact with also understand that,
have access to the arts. When people develop as we age, we are a diverse group of people with
dementia because of Alzheimer’s or other conditions, different needs and desires. Without services that
it can cause obstacles to that access. Azure is about respect and value us as individuals, that listen to our
helping galleries and arts centres to run programmes voices and work with us to improve their services, it is
and events that are sensitive to the needs of people difficult to live life to the full.
with dementia and their carers. We have recently We run training courses that can lead to a QQI award.
delivered a training course, in partnership with the Creative Exchanges gives people the skills to
New York’s Museum of Modern Art, to thirteen arts facilitate meaningful arts activities in care settings
organisations. They have now committed to running for older people. This award-winning programme
events in 2016. brings together artist practitioners from different arts
SAMHAIN disciplines and others with related expertise to
Samhain uses the arts to reflect on challenging issues discuss different approaches and to lead participants
around ageing and resilience. While not for everyone, in arts activity. Another course, Group Facilitation
it looks at the darker side of ageing and provides Skills helps people to plan, deliver and evaluate
a space for reflection and discussion for those who group work sessions in a variety of settings such as
are ready to talk about topics like loss, illness, regret, community programmes, formal and informal
through arts-based activities. education settings. This helps facilitators to respond
Active Citizenship & Lifelong Learning to the views and voices of older people and work
In active citizenship and lifelong learning, we provide with them to agree and deliver programmes that suit
chances for people to learn and explore their ageing those older people.
in innovative ways, as well as providing training to AgeWise is a one-day workshop about ageism for
people who work with older people. everyone who works with older people. It explores a
lot of the assumptions we make about getting older,
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT a lot of the misapprehensions and a lot of the bad
At Age & Opportunity, we believe that ageing brings attitudes and limiting behaviours that can grow out
new opportunities and challenges but people of them. AgeWise brings the staff of organisations
often don’t take time to discuss these together. For a together to discuss how ageism and stereotypes
number of years, we have run the workshops “Taking affect their policy and the ways that people behave.
Stock” and “Ageing with Confidence”, to give people
that chance to discuss this next part of their lives, For details of these and other courses and events
how their relationships have changed with their please visit www.ageandopportunity.ie
families, what their aspirations are for the future and Telephone: +353 (0)1 805 7709
what they have let go. Taking Stock helps people Email: info@ageandopportunity.ie
www.activeirl.ie Active Retirement Ireland 191
