Shaw Festival to Expand Positive Aging Programming With Fall Sessions

The Shaw Festival is expanding its Positive Aging programming this fall with a new season of participatory arts, movement and nature experiences designed for older adults. Taught by professional artists of the Shaw Company, the programming is centred around joy, play and connection. The fall lineup features The Shaw's first CARE Summit on November 7, highlighting Creativity, Aging, Research and Exploration and the role of creativity in healthy, connected aging.

Presented in the new Burton Centre for Lifelong Creativity at the Shaw Artists' Village, these new programs will bring together theatre, improvisation, dance, memory, movement and interaction with nature, reflecting The Shaw's exploration of creativity throughout every stage of life. The Burton Centre is a hub for expanded arts education and community outreach, including Positive Aging experiences.

Shaw's Positive Aging programs have been piloted over the past three years – on Shaw campuses, virtually and in local communities – with continual improvements to evaluate impact and identify and adapt best practices.

Fall Positive Aging programming includes:

• Improv for Nimble Minds – October 14 and 21. A fun and engaging introduction to improvisational theatre designed to exercise cognitive agility and help participants stay present in the moment.

• Actors' Secrets Revealed – November 5–26. Shaw actors share the techniques they use to learn their lines, giving participants practical ways to exercise memory while building confidence.

• Confi-Dance! – October 16, 23 and November 6–27. A playful introduction to dance forms seen on Shaw stages, combining technique and choreography to help build physical strength and improve balance

• Age-Friendly Nature Walks – October 10. Led by conservationist Owen Bjorgan, the walks explore Paradise Grove and the Niagara River.

• Digital Safety – October 20. Led by the Shaw's IT Security Administrator, Tony Riches, participants will learn the tools to recognize scams and protect personal information

Introducing the CARE Summit

The Shaw's first CARE Summit focuses on the intersection of the arts and aging – bringing together Creativity, Aging, Research and Exploration – to help people thrive as they get older.

On November 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., the free drop-in CARE Summit will offer older adults and caregivers the opportunity to experience the benefits of Positive Aging workshops firsthand, engage with local organizations and resources at the Community Exhibition, and hear helpful presentations examining mobility, wellness, creativity and the experience of aging.

Featured organizations will include the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) and the Healthy Aging and Wellness Innovation Centre at Niagara College (HAWIC), with Alzheimer Society Niagara Region, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Happy In My Home and NOTL Palliative Care Services, among other local organizations, participating in the Community Exhibition.

Featured speakers include Dr. Marla Beauchamp, Associate Professor in McMaster University's School of Rehabilitation Sciences and inaugural Director of the MIRA | Dixon Hall Centre in Toronto. A Canada Research Chair in Mobility, Aging and Chronic Disease, Dr. Beauchamp's research focuses on identifying ways to help older adults remain mobile and healthy in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

The CARE Summit will also feature Kerry Stewart, Senior Operations Leader with Prima Living, whose more than 20 years of leadership experience includes extensive work in senior living and a focus on creating healthy, engaged teams that support quality of life and exceptional care for older adults.

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