Our member Rose Connors Dance Coordinates a wonderful project which is gaining traction and lots of media attention nationwide. The Centenarian Portrait Project celebrates intergenerational relationships with our oldest generation.
The Centenarian Portrait Project by Teenagers is a community arts project that promotes intergenerational friendships, celebrates life at 100 (in all its forms) and fights the negative ageing stigma.
This award-nominated national program has presented iterations in VIC, NSW, QLD, SA and TAS. Currently a WA rendition is taking place and ACT, NT versions will follow at the start of 2023. Each iteration of the program involves up to 100 teenage artists and 100 centenarians. A life-affirming inter-generational process culminates in an art exhibition presenting portraits of 100-year-olds by local teenage artists. For most artists it is a chance to meet a centenarian for the first time; for centenarian subjects, a chance to share their story and for both generations a memorable exchange of perspectives.
Each artist is matched with their subject geographically or linguistically. The Embraced team makes the initial introduction, ensuring pairs to get to know one another in a supported environment. The artists visit their subject multiple times; mapping out sketches, taking photos and playing the occasional game of dominos. The artists then return to their studios to complete their artwork.
Accompanying each portrait is a statement about the experience, their subject and life at 100. After each exhibition concludes, our centenarians are gifted their portrait as a keepsake, and a reminder; ageing is a journey, and we are all on it together. In 2023 a national exhibition in Canberra will present 100 portraits of 100-year-olds from around the country (borrowing back portraits from each iteration). This will be a celebration of ageing in all its forms, a public dispelling of ageist stereotypes by promoting the diversity of experience and sharing of stories of super seniors. Simultaneously an expression of care, empathy and artistic skill of Australian teenagers.
“It’s amazing that two different generations can come together and create such an amazing piece as well as learn so much from each other.”
– Skylah James (SA Artist), 2022.
‘We need to remember that the older generations have a voice, have lived full and joyous lives with wonderful experiences and we need to honour them in their golden years ‘ (Melbourne gallery-goer, 2017)
About Embraced:
Embraced creates community-engaging projects that use art as a vehicle for positive social change. Our goal is to strengthen the communities, within which we work, to bring people together and provoke our participants and audiences to question the ways in which we live in our modern day communities.
Our works fight isolation and loneliness. We create platforms where minority groups can be celebrated and honoured. Our projects encourage participants to develop their ability to empathize, to communicate sensitively and consider things from other perspectives. Our works fight the negative ageing stigma with positivity. We are interested in the benefits of inter- generational exchanges outside the traditional family unit and pursue ideas that enable inter-generational collaboration, learning and friendship. Our projects offer opportunities to harness the wisdom and experience of older generations.
For more info visit: www.embraced.com.au
“My biggest takeaway from this, is that ageing is an opportunity for new experiences. It is a fact of life that should be embraced, not ignored.”
– Amelia Nearmy (SA Artist, 2022)
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