Weaving Our Stories

Our summer intergenerational program “Weaving Our Stories” was a gratifying experience for all involved.  Teaching Artists Marcie Wolf-Hubbard (art) and Candace Wolf (storytelling) led four sessions with older adults and children aged 7-15 at Holly Hall Apartments, a new center partner, in Silver Spring, MD.  The program is a partnership with Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County.  Holly Hall provides subsidized housing for older adults, and the youth will were bused in from a nearby family facility, where they are part of a group called Magruder’s Discovery.

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At the beginning of each session, the participants spent time getting to know one another.  Discussion topics included things that are worth waiting for; the history behind their names; what they like best about their current age; what courage means; times of change and how they coped; and the special, most unforgettable days in their lives.  The time spent sharing personal stories flowed into art activities designed to continue the “getting to know you” process.  Younger and older participants created colorful nametags for one another, illustrated stories from the other’s life, created collages made from images of group members, and drew portraits of a partner.  The series culminated with a final celebration on Wednesday,  July 31, where their artwork was displayed for public viewing.

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Members of the group expressed their feelings about the experience:

“I liked interacting with the kids. Some children don’t have grandparents and it is good for them.”

Sarah, Senior participant

“It’s important to take time for yourself and learn something new.  To not think about your health issues, or sit alone in your apartment”

Phyllis, Senior participant

“I liked that they were multicultural like us, and spoke different languages.”

Rufael, Youth participant

“I liked telling our stories, and drawing our partner’s stories”

Bizet, Youth participant

The youth, who continue take part in an after-school program in their neighborhood during the school year, have already planned several return trips to visit their friends at Holly Hall.  We hope the relationship will continue for a long time.

Please enjoy the following video, which we hope conveys the spirit of the sessions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs_HQeYtXS4

 

 


Moving Art: An Ongoing Exploration

Where do dance and visual art intersect?

AFTA Teaching Artists Nancy Havlik and Donna McKee explore this question in their program Moving Art.  Originally developed for active older adults with a grant from the Metlife Foundation, the series has been redesigned to suit the physical and cognitive changes those in our partnering centers are experiencing.  Participants explore the work of 20th century artists like Jackson Pollock and Paul Klee through movement and original art-making.

The new pilot premiered last winter at East County Community Center in Silver Spring, MD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDlFerVbXlg

This summer, participants at The Kensington Club in Rockville, MD experimented in the program  with paint, charcoal and collage.  Most of all, they loved to dance; especially Bill, who found in Teaching Artist Nancy a nimble partner.

Where is Moving Art headed next?  You’ll find us at The Support Center in Rockville, MD, where we look forward to exploring the works of Spanish artists with the community’s Hispanic population.


Giving Voice to Memory

Women at Long Branch Senior Center celebrated Women’s History Month this March in a series of storytelling sessions with Teaching Artist Candace Wolf.  In her program “Giving Voice to Memory”, seniors explored their personal identities as women, the impact of women through time, and the potential for women in the future.  Candace recorded their conversations and created a long-form poem that the women performed for other seniors at the center during a culminating event.

When asked what she learned from the experience, one participant responded “I learned that we are all the same.  You look around and you don’t know this…we are from different countries but we share the same experiences, many of us coming to this country from somewhere else and having to raise our children.”

Read on for an excerpt from their group poem.

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Being a woman means to believe that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Being a woman means that you help populate the world.

Being a woman means striking out on your own and saying, “I think I can do that!”

Being a woman means you bear the children and you nurture them.

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Being a woman means having STRENGTH for activity and for life.

Being a woman means to be esteemed and loved.

Being a woman means having a strong work ethic.

Being a woman means making sure dinner on Sunday is worth dying for! Then you can relax before you have to go back to work on Monday.

Being a woman means we’ve come a long way! There was a time when women had no say, whatsoever.  We just had to keep quiet. But since Women’s Suffrage, women are able to voice our own opinions.

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Being a woman means to experience a lot of hardship. A woman knows what it takes—coming from nowhere—to get where she want to go in life, and how hard it is.

Being a woman means to care for the children and teach them to read. We do the housework and scrub the floor. A woman’s pots and pans are always clean and shining.

Being a woman means you can go back to college and try your hand at different careers.

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Being a woman means that your labor should never be degraded. Being a woman means all your work should have dignity. My grandmother carried milk cans on top of her head and walked the streets selling milk. She did all sorts of things to make a living. I did domestic work. I did it with pride. I raised children. We women are actually pretty powerful.

Being a woman means there is no shame in any job, as long as you’re making an honest living, and as long as you love what you do. Being a woman means getting up early in the morning and going to work every single day, Monday to Saturday,  until you retire. Being a woman means you never get tired!

Being a woman means you can go beyond your mothers’ and grandmothers’ generation. Being a woman means you can train for different professions.

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Being a woman means having a lot of courage to come to a new country with just one suitcase and starting life over. Being a woman means putting food on the table and clothes on the backs of yours children. Being a woman means the sky is the limit. I work hard and now I can say to the world that: “I’M A WOMAN! HEAR ME ROAR!”

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Photos by Stephanie Williams Images


Silver Singers Perform at Chinese New Year Celebration

AFTA’s Silver Singers, a movement and music ensemble comprised of older adults from the Family Matters Asian Senior Center in Washington, D.C., performed for their center’s annual Chinese New Year celebration.

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The group, lead by AFTA Teaching Artist Anthony Hyatt, is frequently invited to perform at special events.  Most recently they sang at the mayor’s Annual Senior Holiday Celebration at the D.C. Armory.

At the Chinese New Year celebration, the Silver Singers performed two songs: “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music, which they had carefully prepared in English, and “Gong Xi, Gong Xi”, a traditional Chinese folk song celebrating the new year.  They closed with a group dance accompanied by Hyatt on the fiddle.

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Anthony and AFTA Director Janine Tursini were invited to “feed the dragon” for luck in the new year.

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We hope this new year brings the Silver Singers continued joy, music and friendship, and we thank the Family Matters Asian Senior Center for inviting AFTA to join this special celebration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIh64RNOKoQ