4:30-5:30 p.m

109-F. We Wrote a Musical: Fostering A Culture of Creative Resident Collaboration

When life plan communities create conditions that nurture spontaneous creative activity, the results can be spectacular for individuals and the community. That’s what happened at Carolina Meadows in Chapel Hill, NC. Community residents wrote and performed an original musical called Movin’ for more than 1,000 people during five performances in 2023. The musical addressed such themes as retirement, unspoken community rules, death, widowhood, new relationships, hip fractures, and early dementia. This session will combine video footage of performances and rehearsals with presentations by the show’s resident organizer and music director, a geriatrician involved in the project, and the community’s administrator. Join this session to discover how resident-generated creative activity can enhance community spirit.

• Hugh Tilson, Resident, Carolina Meadows
• Philip Sloane, Geriatrician and Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill