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Seniors Festival, February 2023
February 3, 2023 @ 10:00 am - February 28, 2023 @ 5:00 pm
To celebrate NERAM’s 40th anniversary, we welcome the Seniors Festival for the month of February 2023. Launching with an opening night on the 3rd of February this festival will include artmaking, theatre, wellness, music and guided tours for the community. Please see the program below, to download the program click here>>
PROGRAM
Opening Night
FRIDAY 3rd February, 6.00pm-8.00pm
Join us at NERAM to celebrate our 40th anniversary and to officially kick off NERAM’s Senior’s Festival 2023. The first opening of the year welcomes five new exhibitions including the big reveal of the new re-hang of the Hinton collection, Wonders of Hinton. Alongside this show will be exhibitions including Coventry Noir, Illustrating Armidale, and NERAM’s Imaginarium. This event is free and NERAM welcomes seniors of the community to come along and enjoy some wonderful exhibitions and refreshments.
Yoga in Chairs with U3A’s Bron Baker & Maureen Lauder
Join U3A Armidale’s Bron Baker and Maureen Lauder for a 1 hour session of yoga in chairs. This session will be held in NERAM’s Mazda Gallery, please arrive 10 minutes before the session and please wear comfortable clothing. Yoga is an ancient system of physical exercise that helps you develop strength, flexibility and a sense of well-being. Gentle movement, stretching, lots of laughter, followed by deep relaxation.
- 7th February, 10 – 11am, facilitated by Bron Baker
- 17th February, 10 – 11am facilitated by Maureen Lauder
Remembering with Art, an introduction to dementia awareness and benefits of art.
NERAM welcomes families, friends, care partners and people living with dementia to an informative session on dementia. HealthWISE Memory Assessment Program Coordinator, Cate Doyle, with experience in helping assess and support people living with dementia and their families, will discuss with you some of the more common types of dementia and its impact. Cate will also endeavour to help people understand some of the behavioural changes that might become evident when someone is living with dementia and ways to reduce Carer stress.
This session talks to the foundations of NERAM’s art & dementia program Remembering with Art set to launch in March 2023 and welcomes artist Peta Moore who teaches art as therapy to discuss and demonstrate creative art exercises for people living with dementia. This event is casual and friendly and NERAM welcomes everyone with an interest to understand more about this disease.
- Tuesday 7th February, 3.00 – 4.00pm
Guided Tours: Wonders of Hinton
NERAM will be running guided tours of the new Wonders of Hinton exhibition throughout the month of February. Guided through the new exhibition, NERAM’s curator Belinda Hungerford will share insight and inspiration with participants as they view many works that have not been on display for some time. Guided tour dates are below and we invite participants to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee to conclude the tour.
- Wednesday 8th February, 10 – 10.45am
- Wednesday 15th February, 10 – 10.45am
A moved reading with U3A’s Armchair Theatre Group
Join U3A’s Armchair Theatre Group in a moved reading in the Wonders of Hinton exhibition where they will perform 5 of the 10 vignettes that make up David Hare’s, ‘The Blue Room’. On Sunday 12th February, Six Counties restaurant will be offering a lunch special for those who wish to enjoy a meal before the performance. Please book lunch separately and call Six Counties for more information on 0414 824 177.
- Sunday 12th February, 2.30 – 3.15pm, FREE event
Soundscapes
A program originally exhibited in 1983 when NERAM first opened its doors, Deidre Rickards OAM has reignited this program to celebrate NERAM’s 40th anniversary. For the Seniors festival in 2023 music teacher and musician Deidre has compiled select works for the Wonders of Hinton and Coventry Noir exhibitions with Australian music compositions and performers of this time. This program will involve music running in both exhibitions at select times and an interactive worksheet for participants. To conclude this program there will be an informative talk by Deidre Rickards who will detail her choice of compositions over morning tea.
See the outline below:
- Wonders of Hinton Soundscapes: Enjoy music and an interactive worksheet in the Wonders of Hinton exhibition from Tuesday 14th February, Wednesday 15th February, Thursday 16th February, 10am – 4pm. No bookings are required
- Coventry Noir Soundscapes: Enjoy music and an interactive worksheet in the Coventry Noir exhibition from Tuesday 21st February, Wednesday 22nd February, Thursday 23rd February, 10am-4pm. No bookings are required
- Hear from musician and music teacher Deidre Rickards OAM and enjoy a cup of tea, Thursday 23rd February 11am- 12pm.
Still Life Drawing Class with Leah Bullen
Enjoy a morning of drawing still life with local artist and educator Dr Leah Bullen. Open to people of all abilities, Leah will run a 1.5 hour session in the gallery/foyer at NERAM where in which participants are able to sketch, chat, and enjoy the wonderful world of still life drawing.
Leah Bullen completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) and a Doctor of Philosophy, Creative Arts, at the School of Art & Design at the Australian National University in Canberra. In 2021, Bullen won both the Stanthorpe Art Prize and The Pring Memorial Prize as part of the Wynne Prize. She has exhibited her work in artist-run-initiatives as well as commercial and public art galleries around Australia and internationally.
- Thursday 16th February, 10.00- 11.30am, FREE event
Art Therapy and Creative Expression with Paula Jenkins
Join local artist Paula Jenkins for an art therapy session with focus on visual expression and its link to your inner self. This will be a light-hearted and enjoyable gathering of artmaking in NERAM’s packsaddle studio where no artistic skill is required. Paula will facilitate a 1.5-hour workshop where participants will be guided through 3 creative activities involving picture cards, a small-scale drawing / painting on paper, and a larger expressive abstract painting on canvas. Each of these activities are aimed at tapping into your inner self and inner emotions.
Please bring water, a snack if needed and an apron if desired. It’s recommended to wear old clothing. All materials will be supplied. If preferred participants can bring their own pencils, crayons, textas and / or paints.
Paula has recently completed a Diploma in Art Therapy and is now studying a Master of Counselling. Paula aims to practice as an Art Psychotherapist on completion of her studies, alongside continuing her own art practice. Paula is an expressive landscape painter who lives and works from her studio, in Walcha NSW; an area that abounds spectacular subjects in nature. Paula’s distinct style depicts the essence of Australia’s landscapes using predominately oil and gouache, and her works are known for her vivacious use of colour, textures, and mark-making to form her landscapes and compositions.
Friday 17th February 2.00pm- 3.30pm, FREE event
For further information on any activities or events, please email education@neram.com.au or phone 6772 5255
