Visible Voices: Expressive arts with isolated seniors using trained volunteers

This practice-based paper describes an innovative program from Ontario, Canada that explored the potential for volunteer-facilitated expressive arts to contribute to the well-being of socially isolated rural seniors. Inspired by Arts on Prescription initiatives in the UK and coordinated by a Registered Expressive Arts Consultant/Educator, the program involved eight older volunteers and eight older participants engaged in a 10-week series of one-on-one intermodal art-making activities in the participants’ homes and institutional settings in 2009–2010. An evaluation of the program design and implementation is presented and the challenges and opportunities of expressive arts with isolated seniors using trained volunteers are discussed.