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A unique intergenerational art exhibition, ‘Face to Face’, will unveil the heartwarming connections made between aged care residents and school students as part of this year’s SA Living Artists (SALA) Festival.
The Face to Face program brought Southern Cross Care’s residents and community-based clients together with local students for a once-in-a-lifetime creative experience. The students and residents took black and white portrait photographs and turned them into vibrant, colourful artworks with mixed media techniques in workshops facilitated by the Southern Cross Care team.
The end product is a vibrant and diverse exhibition of 600 artworks reflecting the lives of older people including their cultures, personalities and stories.
The exhibition will be on display at the Migration Museum in Adelaide from 1 August and open to the public every day from 10am to 5pm.
There will also be a pop-up display of selected artwork prints at Burnside Village Shopping Centre from 1 August. A documentary film following the moments of connection between the students and the Southern Cross Care communities will also form part of the exhibition so that visitors can immerse themselves in the experience.
Southern Cross Care Chief Executive Officer David Moran said every year the SALA program provides residents and clients with a wonderful opportunity to gather together, build friendships and express themselves creatively through art.
“This year, the intergenerational element of the project has had such a positive impact for so many of our residents and clients,” Mr Moran said.
“It has been a privilege to see their faces light up when they see the students enter the room and to hear the heartwarming conversations they share.
“One resident, Jenny, said she ‘woke up without any music in her heart’. But after meeting her student partner, who included musical notes in her portrait, Jenny felt like the student had ‘brought the music back’
“Many residents have shared their genuine joy of being able to meet with students, share their stories and see these stories reflected in the final artwork.
“We are so grateful for the support this program has received and I encourage everyone to visit the Migration Museum and Burnside Village to see the artworks first-hand.”
Adam Paterson, Acting Head of Audience & Experience at the History Trust of SA, said, “I am thrilled that the History Trust is able to host this exhibition. Bringing together young people and aged care residents to share experiences across generations, connecting the past and present through a creative process, is inspired. Our Migration Museum is the perfect venue to showcase these works, with aged care residents from a diverse range of backgrounds featuring in the works.”
Face to Face was funded by the Southern Cross Care Community Foundation thanks to the generous support of donors and sponsors.
The Foundation sponsors Southern Cross Care’s SALA program because it fosters social connection and combats loneliness and isolation for older people.
