- This event has passed.
Seniors Festival 2024
March 12 @ 5:00 pm - March 22 @ 4:00 pm
It’s on again! The Seniors Festival will be celebrated at NERAM from the 11th – 24th of March 2024. Our opening night will be on the 12th March at 5pm, and then we are continuing the festival with artmaking, theatre, wellness, music, guided tours, and much more for our community. Our programs include both free and paid events, but we ask that you still book for both so we know how many attendees we can expect.
For a full list of the events, please see the program below, or download the program (PDF)
Program
Opening Night Concert
TUESDAY 12th March, 5.00pm-7:00pm
Join us and our talented friends from NECOM to officially kick off NERAM’s Senior’s Festival 2024. To begin the festivities, we welcome you to join us for some refreshments while listening to an incredible string-quartet performance playing some crowd favourites, from The Beatles to Bridgerton, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. We then invite you to continue the evening with a viewing of The Wynne Prize 2023 touring exhibition as well as the rest of our incredible exhibitions while our NECOM musicians continue to serenade us for the evening. This event is free and NERAM welcomes seniors of the community to come along and enjoy some wonderful exhibitions and refreshments.
Art and Wellness Workshop with Paula Jenkins
- WEDNESDAY 13th March, 1:30-3pm
- WEDNESDAY 20th March, 1:30-3pm
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 the Museum of Printing studio where no artistic experience is required. Paula will facilitate a 1.5-hour workshop where participants will be guided through 3 creative activities involving clay sculpture, a small-scale drawing on paper, and a larger expressive abstract painting on canvas, aimed at tapping into your inner self and emotions. Both workshops will contain the same activities, they are not a continuation of one another.
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.
Chair Yoga with U3A facilitators
- THURSDAY 14th March 10:30-11:30am with Maureen
- TUESDAY 19th March 10:30-11:30am with Bron
Join U3A Armidale’s Bron Baker and Maureen Lauder for a free 1 hour session of yoga in chairs. This session will be held in NERAM’s Mazda Gallery, followed by a complementary morning tea which will allow an open discussion about health and wellness for our senior citizens. 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. These exercises can be adjusted to suit everyone’s current physical state in a friendly and relaxed environment.
Guided Tours: The Wynne Prize 2023, touring exhibition
- THURSDAY 14th March, 12-12:45pm
- FRIDAY 22nd March, 12-12:45pm
This year, NERAM is one of the first galleries to host The Wynne Prize 2023 touring exhibition. The Wynne Prize is Australia’s oldest art prize that awards the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or for the best example of figure sculpture by Australian artists. The winner and finalists within this exhibition are incredible examples of the vast beauty and diversity of Australian landscapes and the creativity and skill in figure sculpture. This exhibition is ticketed, but we will be offering free guided tours with the purchase of your ticket at the above times.
A darkly funny performance with U3A’s Armchair Theatre Group
FRIDAY 22nd March, 1-1:30pm
Join U3A’s Armchair Theatre Group in a creative performance of a pensioner’s untimely demise brought to life by the character’s parrot. Sit back and relax in our Hinton gallery and help yourself to some popcorn to really set the scene. This is a free event.
Printing Workshop with Rhonda Ellem
FRIDAY 15th March, 1-3pm
Join local Black Gully printmaker and artist Rhonda Ellem for 2 hours of hands-on printmaking using gelli plates where prints are created without the use of the press.
You’ll be guided in the making of a print: from mixing primary colours to selectively using plants and paper stencils to create layered original artworks. Nothing else needed except an apron/old shirt and your sense of artistic adventure!
No experience necessary and all materials supplied.
As a paper and fabric printer, Rhonda Ellem’s current practice is closely underpinned by drawing, nature and colour exploration.
Silver Swans Ballet with Jo Knight
- TUESDAY 19th March 2-3pm
- THURSDAY 21st March 2-3pm
Silver Swans classes have been specifically designed for the over-55s, but whatever your age, if you are looking for a new way to keep fit and active, our ballet classes will put a spring in your step.
Whether you’ve never danced before or want to get back into the swing of it, our classes have something for everyone.
The R.A.D. developed this programme based on research into dance practice for older learners – classes are only taught by Silver Swans Licensees. Joanne Knight RAD.RTS is currently offering ballet classes including Silver Swans in Armidale upstairs above the Laneway Café in the Armidale Mall Arcade.
If you are one of those ladies who have always wanted to ballet, its never to late to shine and what better way to start than with this free event! We will have a number of ballet barre’s set up within our Hinton Gallery for a quiet atmosphere. We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and, if possible, shoes that have some flexibility in them.
Rusty Singers sing-along choir performance and activity
WEDNESDAY 20th March 10:30-11:30am
Rediscover the joy that singing can bring with this incredible seniors choir, the Rusty Singers. Enjoy a seated performance and bop along to a range of songs, from show tunes to jazz, this group will inspire you to join in by the end (which you will be encouraged to do!) Then relax and warm your vocal chords with a cup of tea in our gallery foyer.
Remembering with Art discussion and art making
THURSDAY 21st March 10-11:15am
Based on the National Gallery of Australia’s Art and Dementia program, we invite those experiencing dementia, their carers or anyone impacted by this disease to come along to a relaxed and light-hearted session of looking at and talking about art, followed by an artmaking exercise.
Participants are invited for a light morning tea and then are encouraged to create conversation surrounding the chosen artworks led by our incredible volunteers and our Education Officer Lucy. We will then move into our Mazda gallery for some artmaking linked to the works we have discussed. This is a free event which hopes to build relationships within our community for people who have similar experiences and find new ways to connect with one another.
Guided tour of the Museum of Printing
TUESDAY 19th March 11:30-12
The Museum of Printing (or MOP) is a must for anyone interested in the history of printing in Australia, or the importance of that industry to rural and regional New South Wales. Be guided through this piece of history with one of our local Black Gully printmakers and see part of our collection of 1000 printing blocks and a comprehensive library of books on printing and technical manuals, as well as the incredible collection of printing presses and how they are used.
For further information on any activities or events, please email education@neram.com.au or phone 6772 5255
