Kairos Alive

KAIROS ALIVE! TRANSFORMS LIVES THROUGH DANCE AND STORY, AND RAISES AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVE INVOLVEMENT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN FOR VERIFIABLE HEALTH BENEFITS. OUR CHOREOGRAPHY OF CARETM PROGRAMS PROMOTE PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING THROUGH OUR INTERGENERATIONAL DANCE HALLTM PUBLIC PARTICIPATION EVENTS, OUR DANCING HEARTTM WEEKLY PROGRAMMING, OUR COMMUNITY ARTS AND WELLBEINGTM RESIDENCIES, AND OTHER PROGRAMS. WE EMPOWER INTERGENERATIONAL AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH PARTICIPATORY DANCE, MUSIC AND STORY - WITH ELDERS AT THE CENTER.

KAIROS ALIVE! OFFERS CONNECTION, HOPE, PURPOSE, AND EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE WELL-BEING THROUGH CREATIVITY ENGAGEMENT, AND ARTS AND HEALTH RESEARCH LEARNING. KAIROS ALIVE! IS A 23-YEAR-OLD MINNESOTA NONPROFIT, EVIDENCE-BASED, SOCIAL IMPACT ORGANIZATION BASED IN THE POWER OF CREATIVITY ENGAGEMENT THAT PROMOTES INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP LEADERSHIP FOR HEALTHY ACTIVE LIFESTYLES. OUR MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH DANCE, MUSIC, THEATER AND THE LATEST ARTS AND HEALTH RESEARCH LEARNING. OUR VISION IS TO CELEBRATE ELDERS AT THE CENTER OF VITAL INTERGENERATIONAL CREATIVE COMMUNITIES, INSPIRING ENJOYMENT AND WELL-BEING FOR ALL. OUR GOALS ARE TO SERVE AS AN INNOVATOR OF PROGRAMS, EDUCATOR IN ARTS AND HEALTH APPROACHES, AND A CATALYST FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE. WE HAVE 5-YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ADAPTING IN-PERSON PROGRAMS TO LIVE 2-WAY INTERACTIVE AND VIDEO PROGRAMS. KAIROS ALIVE! IS A RECOGNIZED PIONEER IN THE ARTS AND HEALTH/CREATIVE AGING MOVEMENTS. OUR PROGRAMS HAVE WON NATIONAL AWARDS FROM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION AND THE AMERICAN SOCIETY ON AGING, AND HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO RESEARCH IN THE FIELD. THEY ARE RECOGNIZED AS MODEL PROGRAMS BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR CREATIVE AGING, AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS. RACHELLE SHULTZ, CEO, WINONA (MN) HEALTH: "OUR KAIROS EVENTS WERE AMAZING! STAFF LOVED LEARNING THIS APPROACH, AND IT HAS OPENED UP WHOLE NEW WAYS OF THINKING. WE HAVE GREAT STORIES ABOUT THE IMPACT ON RESIDENTS. [FOUR YEARS LATER,] OUR STAFF IN LONG TERM CARE STILL USE WHAT THEY LEARNED WITH KAIROS!" KAIROS: THE OPEN MOMENT OF CREATIVITY WHERE ETERNITY MEETS THE PRESENT. SIX MAJOR KAIROS ALIVE! ACTIVITIES ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELDS OF ARTS AND HEALTH, AND CREATIVE AGING: 1. CHOREOGRAPHY OF CARETM (CC) DESCRIBES OUR LARGER VISION OF CREATING INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY WELLBEING THROUGH INTERGENERATIONAL INTERACTIVE PARTICIPATORY DANCE, MUSIC, STORY, THEATER - AND THE LATEST BODY/MIND HEALTH EDUCATION. THROUGH CC, WE SERVE AS LINKS BETWEEN PERFORMING ARTS AND HEALTHCARE, TO CREATE COMPELLING WORKS OF ART, ENJOYMENT AND RESEARCH-VERIFIABLE HEALTH BENEFITS. CC IS THE FRAMEWORK FOR THIS WORK, WHICH GROWS FROM OUR AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS, THE DANCING HEARTTM. 2. MOVING WELLTM IS OUR CERTIFICATE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NURSES, PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL THERAPISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS, PROGRAM MANAGERS, FAMILY CAREGIVERS, STUDENTS, ARTISTS AND CITIZEN ACTIVISTS INVOLVED WITH ELDERS. IN 2-HR TO 2-DAY SESSIONS, WE GIVE PARTICIPANTS SPECIFIC TOOLS FOR ENGAGING FAMILY MEMBERS, COLLEAGUES AND CLIENTS PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY THROUGH JOYFUL PERFORMING ARTS INVOLVEMENT TO AFFECT PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLBEING. 3. OUR ARTS CAFÉ/ CAREGIVER CREATIVITY CAFÉTM PARTICIPATORY EVENTS IN ADULT DAY PROGRAMS, ASSISTED LIVING AND LONG-TERM CARE LIVING SITES THAT WE SERVE, OFTEN WITH INVITED PROFESSIONAL GUEST ARTISTS, BRING OUR APPROACHES TO OVERBURDENED FAMILY CAREGIVERS. 4. OUR INTERGENERATIONAL DANCE HALLTM IS AN ALL AGES AND ABILITIES RE-IMAGINING OF THE COMMUNITY DANCE AS THE INTERSECTION OF ARTISTIC, PHYSICAL, AND SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT, WITH ELDERS AT THE CENTER OF INTERGENERATIONAL DANCE AND STORY PERFORMANCE ART MAKING, INVOLVING UNDERSERVED AUDIENCES. 5. OUR COMMUNITY ARTS AND WELLBEINGTM RESIDENCY IS OUR COMMUNITY WIDE PROJECT INVOLVING INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL COLLABORATORS IN THE ARTS, HEALTHCARE, SOCIAL SERVICES, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND TRIBAL NATIONS, DESIGNED TO FOSTER CREATIVITY, AND OPTIMAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING, WITH ELDERS AT THE CENTER OF THIS ACTIVITY. 6. KAIROS ALIVE! CREATIVITY TOGETHERTM AND KAIROS CLUBHOUSETM WEBCASTS. IN TIMES OF COVID, ALL OUR PROGRAMS ARE NOW ADAPTED TO ONLINE DELIVERY. WE HAVE 5-YEARS OF EXPERIENCE DEVELOPING POPULAR 2-WAY INTERACTIVE PARTICIPATORY STREAMED ARTS AND HEALTH ENGAGEMENT WEBCASTS SERVING INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN THE TWIN CITIES, GREATER MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, FLORIDA AND CALIFORNIA. OUR CURRENT FLAGSHIP WEBCAST OVER ZOOM, KAIROS CLUBHOUSETM IS A WEEKLY ENGAGING AND INSPIRING RESEARCH-BASED 2-WAY "TV SHOW" WEBCAST THAT'S A MIX OF MR. ROGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD, READING RAINBOW, SOUL TRAIN, SCIENCE FRIDAY AND LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER FOR ALL AGES/ABILITIES. WITH MUSIC, ADAPTED DANCE AND MOVEMENT, STORIES, AND ARTS AND HEALTH RESEARCH LEARNING, IT MAKES CREATIVE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ISOLATED PEOPLE, IMPROVES HEALTH, AND PROMOTES INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING. CORE KAIROS ALIVE! TEACHING ARTISTS ARE A FAMILY IN THE SAME "GERM CIRCLE" WEBCASTING FROM OUR STUDIO IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS. ADDITIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS JOIN WEBCASTS FROM THEIR HOME STUDIOS. WE FREQUENTLY COLLABORATE ON WEBCASTS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA AND THE AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE, AMONG MANY OTHERS. WE PLAN TO RESUME IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING WHEN PUBLIC HEALTH CONDITIONS ALLOW. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN THE FIELD OF CREATIVE ARTS AND AGING. SIX STUDIES ARE BASED ON THE WORK OF KAIROS. THROUGH IN-DEPTH ARTIST TRAINING, AND PRESENTATIONS AND INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC AND FOR COLLABORATING LEADERS, WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS WORK LOCALLY WITH OUR MANY MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL PARTNERS, AS WELL AS WITH OUTSTATE PARTNERS. RECENT NATIONAL INVOLVEMENTS INCLUDE MOUNTING RESIDENCIES, TRAININGS AND KEYNOTES IN WASHINGTON, DC, JOHNSTOWN, PA, SANTA FE, NM, PHOENIX, AZ AND SAN FRANCISCO, CA. WE PROVIDE EDUCATION ON THE VALUE OF ENGAGING ELDERS IN THE ARTS, CELEBRATING THEIR EXISTENCE AND EXPERIENCE, AND CHANGING STEREOTYPES THAT IMPLY THAT OLDER PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE OR BE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. OUR WORK OFFERS DIRECT JOYFUL EXPERIENCES IN INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, ACCEPTANCE AND ENJOYMENT. WE SERVE AS CATALYSTS TO BRING OUT THE CREATIVITY OF THE OLDER ADULTS WITH WHOM WE WORK, CHANGING THEIR SOCIAL STATUS IN THE COMMUNITY AND IMPACTING THE WAY STAFF AND ELDERS INTERACT THROUGH THE LENS OF ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES LED BY PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS.