Students and older South Australians have shown creativity, and friendship thrive at any age, working together to prepare artwork for this month’s South Australian Living Arts Festival (SALA).
For the past two months, year 6 students from St Peter’s Woodlands joined with residents from ACH Group’s Kapara Residential Care Home to create a series of artworks for exhibition during SALA.
For retired teacher Brian Burton, who spent 25 years in the classroom, the experience has provided an opportunity to share his skills, connect with younger generations and continue pursuing his passion for creativity.
Brian said working with students Flynn McCarthy and Elijah Lawrenson has been a refreshing use of his creative spark.
“I was a teacher for 25 years, so it is nice to have the class come to me for a change,” he laughed.
“I played a lot of tennis when I was younger, so Flynn and Elijah have been working with me on a drawing of a tennis court, and I’ve been working with them on how to use parallel lines to show perspective.
“It’s been an enjoyable experience working with the young students and seeing how our ideas came together. I’m proud of what we’ve created.”
Student Elijah said getting to know Brian had been just as enjoyable as creating the artwork.
“It’s really nice to hear Brian’s story,” Elijah said.
“It’s always a nice opportunity to learn from someone who has lived through different times and has so much knowledge to share.”
ACH Group Social Team Leader Residential Beth Cleary said intergenerational programs create valuable opportunities for people of different ages to connect through shared interests.
“We see so many benefits for everyone involved. Residents enjoy forming new relationships and staying connected to the community, while younger people develop a greater understanding and appreciation of older people,” she said
Beth said the benefits flow both ways, with residents forming new connections and students being able to meet and learn from older people.
“It’s good for the residents because they’re meeting new people and forming new relationships,” Beth said.
“The younger participants are learning about the rich lives and experiences of older people, which is an important part of challenging stereotypes.”
The finished artworks will be displayed as part of St Peter’s Woodlands’ SALA exhibition, open to the public Sunday 16 August 2pm-4pm.
The project was featured on Channel 7’s Ray of Sunshine, highlighting its positive community impact.