CREATIVE SENIOR 2 – a continuation of the art-therapy workshop series for seniors in Gdynia.

By taking part in the project, seniors will feel part of a community. Attending regular workshops together will create opportunities to integrate across health, economic and social divides.

The seniors taking part in the project are people whose modest means prevent them from participating regularly in cultural life. Attending the workshops will create an opportunity to engage with culture and to strengthen cultural and social competences.

Participants will also gain soft skills, boosting their self-confidence and their sense of belonging to the local community. The workshops will draw attention to the situation of seniors in the new pandemic and post-pandemic reality – most activities are suspended, and seniors slide deeper into exclusion and passivity. The applicant believes there is a way to organise safe and effective workshops for people of all ages.

The main goal of the project is to strengthen the cultural competences of 24 Gdynia seniors (18 women, 6 men, including 5 people with a disability certificate) through participation in art-therapy workshops.

The main goal responds to the need to reactivate seniors socially after the period of social isolation.

The project will support 24 people aged 55 and over, of whom at least 5 will hold a disability certificate – 18 women and 6 men (the gender disparity reflects preliminary project research).

Twelve three-hour workshops are planned for each of the two groups of seniors, with the following themes:

• Workshop 1 (10/03, 11/03) – Macramé bracelets
• Workshop 2 (17/03, 18/03) – Wall compositions: macramé leaves
• Workshop 3 (24/03, 25/03) – Soy candle making
• Workshop 4 (31/04, 01/04) – Easter wreaths
• Workshop 5 (14/04, 15/04) – Candles decorated with napkins
• Workshop 6 (21/04, 22/04) – Soutache jewellery
• Workshop 7 (28/04, 29/04) – Glass painting
• Workshop 8 (12/05, 13/05) – Painting large beach bags
• Workshop 9 (19/05, 20/05) – Eco soap making
• Workshop 10 (26/05, 27/05) – Crocheting a cotton-cord handbag
• Workshop 11 (02/06, 03/06) – Mug painting
• Workshop 12 (09/06, 10/06) – Crepe-paper flowers