Uniting Aged Care Ningana, Tas - Beneath the Jetty - awarded 2009

Community Artlink program – Rivers Project

Uniting Aged Care Ningana, in southern Tasmania initiated Artlink – a project-based program of creative activities.  Artlink aims to encourage, honour and celebrate the creative talents, memories and humour of older Australians, especially those living in a residential aged care home.

Over six months, the Rivers project resulted in an installation six metres long, two metres high and two metres high called 'beneath the jetty'.

About Artlink
Artlink was introduced in August 2007 and is run at:

• Strathaven and Strathglen, Berridale
• Lillian Martin, Mornington
• Ningana, Sorrell.

Artlink uses a variety of short and long term ‘art’ projects as a bridging mechanism connecting the residents through these homes to one another and to their surrounding community.  Artlink interprets ‘art’ in the widest possible sense, to include any creative activity:

• traditional art and craft,
• music,
• rhythm and singing,
• movement and dance,
• storytelling,
• performance,
• photography and
• multi-media.

Where it all started
Artlink was inspired by the success and ongoing enthusiasm for The Knitting Room (2003 to 2007), the largest community arts project to date. It was exhibited by the ABC in Sydney 2006, and featured as part of 10-Days on the Island art festival in 2007. The Knitting Room also won an Australian-wide award for Better Practice in Aged Care, for its achievements in promoting the well-being of residents. Artlink has taken the knowledge and experience gained during The Knitting Room project and become a weekly creative session offered at these residential aged care homes.

Though ‘art’ is the basis for our interaction in the Artlink program, our underlying aim is to promote friendship between people of all ages and backgrounds and a sense, within individual participants, that they are doing something worthwhile.  Working together on a project, experiencing the fund and laughter, the challenges and successes as part of a group, is a wonderful way to nurture the sense of self-worth, of belonging and of making a valued contribution for their community.

Beneath the jetty project
This project’s theme of rivers 'beneath the jetty' built a colourful profusion, the life and udnerwater scenery that may be found under any jetty in any river, anywhere, anytime. Many of our observations centred on the Derwent River, a major river in Tasmania and the closest river the all participating homes. In collaboration with local councils, the ‘Works Festival’ and community groups, the art installation came to life.  The completed artwork was exhibited on Sunday 25 May, 2008 at the Derwent Entertainment Centre as part of the ‘Works Festival.’

How we developed the project
Participants spent extensive time discussing the many aspects and connections associated with ‘rivers’.  They then began mapping these, trying to think as laterally as possible; to tease out associations with rivers and history, ecology, geography, facts, as well as their feelings and memories about rivers.  We also drew up a list of sayings and favourite quotes from books and poems about rivers and water.

Based on these discussions, residents chose something that was of interest to them, and the artist(s), staff volunteers assisted them to present stories, information, memories and interpretations in a creative form.

Artlink continues
The Artlink program is constantly evolving in surprising and exciting ways. To the casual observer, the creative activities at our weekly sessions may seem delightfully haphazard or cheerfully chaotic.  Companionships, friendly chatter, challenges and successes are embraced with passion.

Involvement may be as simple as sharing our company, or as complex as inventing and designing a new art piece.  The emphasis is on building strong links between Uniting Aged Care residents and the wider community.

Outcomes for residents
The emphasis of Artlink was on building strong links between Uniting Aged Care residents and the wider community. A group of students from Rosetta High School visited Strathaven residents each week to join in the Rivers Project and add youthful energy to the creative processes. Several loyal community members joined our ranks across all homes and ABC Radio recorded and broadcast resident’s ‘river’ memories.

In summary, the Rivers Project

• provided social interaction with other residents within their residential aged care home
• provided social interaction with residents from other residential aged care homes, creating a feeling of being part of a larger, welcoming family
• offered the joy of working in a group towards a shared goal
• assisted in the discovery of new skills or the development and extension of existing skills and talents
• provided the opportunity to share the skills, knowledge, memories and opinions of each participant and confirm their importance to the project.
• exercised the creative abilities, promoting healthy brain function
• nurtured the individual’s feeling of achievement and usefulness so vital to a sense of well being.
• improved participants’ sense of self-worth through individual and group successes
• assisted individuals to overcome physical and mental challenges in a supportive environment
• provided a balanced approach to person-centred care
• provided an avenue for residents to engage in the greater community.