Create and Thrive!, is a program that provided professional development to local teaching artists who are interested in learning more about effectively engaging the District’s older adults.
Teaching artists are paired to create curriculum for a new interdisciplinary residency program, that offer consecutive workshops to the same group of participants at local community and residential care settings.
Create and Thrive! 2023
Now in its second year, Create and Thrive provides professional development to local teaching artists who have an interest in learning more about effectively engaging the District’s older adults.
In partnership with Arts for the Aging (AFTA), CAH offered this training opportunity to fourteen (14) teaching artists in DC from Fall 2022 - Spring 2023. Teaching artists were paired to create curriculum for a new interdisciplinary residency program, that offers four (4) consecutive workshops to the same group of participants at local community and residential care settings.
Teaching artists:
- Tammy A. Barnes, she/her, Visual Artist
- Malachi Byrd, he/his, Spoken Word/Poet
- Hayley Cutler, she/her, Dancer
- Aida Ebrahimi, she/they, Multidisciplinary Artist
- Arletha Greer, she/her, Fine Artist
- Rodney Johnson Jr., he/him, Poet/Musician
- Kristen King, she/her, Literary Artist
- Benisse Lester, she/her, Visual Artist
- Casey Moore, she/her, Poet
- Brandon Smoot, he/him, Visual Artist/Designer
- Maria-Ines Tripodi, she/her, Dancer
- Laura Tsaggaris, she/her, Musician
- Jonathan Tucker, he/him, Poet
- Devin Walker, he/him, Musician
Local senior centers
- East of the River Deaf/Hard of Hearing Senior Center
- East of the River Regional Friendship Café Mayfair Mansion
- East of the River Regional Friendship Café Kenilworth Recreation Center
- Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Center
- Iona Tenleytown Adult Day Health Wellness & Arts Center
- Iona The Washington Home Center
- Kingdom Care Senior Village
PROGRAMS AND ARTISTS
- Resiliency in Change: Aida Ebrahimi & Rodney Johnson Jr.
- Dancing and Drawing for Joy, Self, and Community: Arletha Greer & Hayley Cutler
- Finding Our Voices: Casey Moore & Laura Tsaggaris
- The Warmth of Words: Brandon Smoot & Malachi Byrd
- Life in Movement, Words, and Color: Benisse Lester & Kristen King
- The Creative Percussion: Devin Walker & Tammy Barnes
- Walking Across A Story: Jonathan Tucker & Maria-Ines Tripodi
From the archive: