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Creative Aging – Application for Teaching Artists

Who May Apply?

Teaching artists may apply if they are practicing artists with strong knowledge in their artistic discipline and an interest in engaging older adults in learning experiences in, through, or about the arts.

Applicants should be prepared to lead sequential arts learning experiences that move beyond one-time workshops. Creative Aging programs should provide opportunities for participants to build skills over time, reflect on their creative process, respond to the work of others, and share their work through a culminating event or community celebration.

Teaching Artist Requirements

Teaching artist applicants must:

  • Be a practicing artist with demonstrated knowledge in one or more artistic disciplines
  • Have experience or strong potential as a teaching artist, facilitator, or community-based arts educator
  • Be a full-time current Idaho resident or reside in a border state
  • Be available to provide programming that takes place in Idaho and benefits Idaho residents
  • Demonstrate an interest in working with older adults through accessible, respectful, and participant-centered arts learning
  • Submit a sample sequential learning residency plan
What We Look for in Teaching Artist Applications

Arts Idaho looks for teaching artists who can design and facilitate creative aging experiences that are sequential, inclusive, and responsive to older adult learners.

Strong applications will demonstrate:

Artistic Excellence & Merit

The applicant has a clear artistic practice, strong discipline knowledge, and the ability to communicate that practice to others.

Creative Aging Readiness

The applicant understands that older adults bring lived experience, creativity, knowledge, and personal voice to the learning process. The artist’s approach should support dignity, choice, access, social connection, and creative growth.

Sequential Learning

The applicant can design a multi-week residency in which each session builds upon the previous session. A creative aging residency is not a single-day activity or isolated workshop. It should support meaningful artistic growth over time.
Applicants should show how participants will:

  • Create: Make original artistic work or engage in an artistic process
  • Respond: Reflect on their own work, discuss the work of others, give or receive feedback, or revise their work
  • Present: Share their work through a culminating event, showcase, reading, performance, exhibition, open studio, community celebration, or documentation process
Teaching Artist Application Materials

The application must be completed in a single session. Prepare these materials and have them ready to upload or copy/paste into the application form when you are ready.

Section 1: Applicant Information

This section asks for essential contact information such as name, mailing address, email, etc.

Section 2: Artist Biography and Statement

Suggested length: 250–500 words. Be ready to paste this into a text box.

The statement should describe:

  • The applicant’s artistic practice
  • Connection to community-based arts learning
  • Interest in creative aging work

Section 3: Creative Aging Teaching Philosophy

Suggested length: 250–500 words. Be ready to paste this into a text box.

The response should address:

  • Participant voice and choice
  • Dignity and respect
  • Accessibility
  • Social connection
  • Creative growth
  • Adaptation for different needs and learning styles

Section 4: Sequential Learning Residency Plan

Be ready to upload a sample 8-session residency plan (Word document or PDF preferred) showing how each session builds toward a culminating event.

The plan should address the following questions:

  1. What artistic skill, process, or theme would participants explore over multiple weeks?
  2. What would participants create by the end of the residency?
  3. How would each session build from the previous session?
  4. How would participants reflect on their own work?
  5. How would participants respond to or discuss each other’s work?
  6. What would the culminating event look like?
  7. How would you adapt the experience and materials for participants with different mobility, memory, vision, hearing, or energy needs?
  8. What support would you need from a host site?

The application must be completed in a single session. Prepare the materials described above and have them ready to upload or copy/paste into the application form when you are ready. If you are applying as an organization, fill out the organization application form.

Creative Aging Teaching Artist Application

Section 1: Applicant Information

Section 2: Artist Biography and Statement

Section 3: Creative Aging Teaching Philosophy

Section 4: Sequential Learning Residency Plan

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