Visible Voices: Expressive arts with isolated seniors using trained volunteers.
This practice-based paper describes an innovative program from Ontario, Canada that explored the potential for volunteer-facilitated expressive arts to contribute to the well-being of socially isolated rural seniors. Inspired by Arts on Prescription initiatives in the UK and coordinated by a Registered Expressive Arts Consultant/Educator, the program involved eight older volunteers and eight older participants engaged in a 10-week series of one-on-one intermodal art-making activities in the participants' homes and institutional settings in 2009-2010. An evaluation of the program design and implementation is presented and the challenges and opportunities of expressive arts with isolated seniors using trained volunteers are discussed.
The Creative Cocoon, 2837 Haliburton Lake Road, P.O. Box 151, Eagle Lake, Ontario, Canada K0M 1M0.
Fay
F
Wilkinson
Trent-Fleming School of Nursing, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7B8.
Ann
A
MacLeod
Department of Geography, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7B8.
Mark W
MW
Skinner
U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research, P.O. Box 655, Minden, Ontario, Canada K0M 2K0.
Heather
H
Reid
Canada; expressive arts; older people; participatory art; volunteers; well-being