Creative Seniors Day

TAC’s Creative Seniors Day is a series of free art activities for senior residents of the Tuggeranong Valley. Focusing on inclusion, wellbeing, and social connectivity, participants are welcome to stay for the day or drop in for an hour! Start the day with a relaxing session of Tai Chi or walk by the lake with Wiradjuri woman, Aunty Narelle Hutchings and see native plants in a new light . Book your spot in a morning (or afternoon) painting or dance class, then head to the theatre for a performance by the Canberra Symphony Youth Chamber Orchestra. Conclude the day, with an afternoon singing session, then celebrate with the artists at the official opening of three new exhibitions. Drop-in art activities will be happening all day. Free tea and coffee and a pre-booked lunch (details below) will be served in the Lodge. There will also be lunch and coffee voucher give-aways happening throughout the day!

Creative Seniors Day Program:

Taoist Tai Chi® by the Lake

Taoist Tai Chi® is a form of moving meditation that has a deep effect on the brain, calming and clearing the mind. It involves a full range of motion with deep stretching and continuous turning of the spine. This whole-body approach has a profound effect on our physical health, increasing strength, flexibility, and resilience, whatever our condition. Click here to book into a session of Tai Chi by the Lake from 9-10am.

Drop-in Art Activities

Lake Walk and Native Plant Talk with Wiradjuri woman, Aunty Narelle Hutchings. Discover medicinal and culinary qualities in our native flora as you take in the lake views and fresh morning air. This drop-in activities will run from 9am-9:45am. No bookings required.

Raffia Weaving Circle with Wiradjuri woman, Aunty Narelle Hutchings. Enjoy a cuppa, a yarn and make some new friends in the casual comfort of the Lodge. Drop-in to weave with Narelle, and her helpers, and learn coiling and make small items using raffia.

Drop-in activities will run from 10am-5pm. No bookings required.

Lakeside Sketching

Relax in the fresh air, take in the view, and use available drawing materials to make some observations. Focus on a tree, the lakes edge, or clouds in the sky. Whether it’s smudgy, streaky, swirly, or scratchy, use your own marks to capture a memory.

Drop-in activities will run from 10am-5pm. No bookings required.

Collaborative Flower Making

Perhaps you would like to create a flower motif with left over fabric, yarns, and buttons to make a group textile assemblage. With your help, we can make a garden for all to enjoy!

Drop-in activities will run from 10am-5pm. No bookings required.

Be Still – Still life Painting Class

Ever wanted to pick up a paint brush or dust off the paints that have been sitting in the cupboard for years? Making Time teacher and artist Lily Platts will facilitate three 1-hour painting classes. No experience is needed, as you’ll be guided step by step through basic acrylic techniques! No matter your skill level, you’ll surprise yourself on what you can achieve. Click here to book into a painting class at 10:30am, 11:30am or 2pm.

Fresh Funk 55+ Movement Class

Find your groove in this modern movement class, offering fun, funky fitness, suitable for beginners as well as those with dance experience. Morning and afternoon classes will be offered. Book now and take the chance to sample TAC’s popular and long-standing dance program. Click here to book for a Fresh Funk movement class at 10:30am, 11:30am or 2pm.

Canberra Symphony Youth Chamber Orchestra (CSYCO) Concert

CSYCO is a performance enrichment program for young, advanced string players. It is a unique opportunity for young musicians to rehearse and perform alongside CSO Concertmaster Kirsten Williams. Come and listen to the wonderful sound of strings with a varied program of solo and ensemble repertoire. Click here to book for this performance in the TAC theatre from 1-2:00pm.

Seniors Sing-along

Join Leisa Keen have have fun singing all your favourite popular songs in this informal sing-along. All singing levels are welcome. Due to the all-sing nature of the songs, this session is very friendly to those who get nervous singing in front of others. Join us and we’ll prove that you too can sing without fear. Click here to book for a sing-along in the TAC theatre from 3:30-5:00pm.

Exhibition Openings and Artist talks

Mark Dober: On the Banks of the Murrumbidgee

Join Mark Dober in the Foyer Gallery at 5.20pm for an Artist talk and the official opening of On the Banks of the Murrumbidgee at 6pm. Mark’s large-scale watercolour works on paper were made en plein airon the banks of the Murrumbidgee in the region around Wagga Wagga, and at Tuggeranong.

Peter McLean and John Pratt: Traverse

While maps conventionally deliver an empirical and analytic portrayal of the landscape, an established visual language of shape, colour and text also provides a felt archive of emotional and psychological presence. This series of cartographic works playfully explore this experiential subtext in prints, collages, installations, and mixed media. Join Peter and John in Gallery 1 for an artist talk at 5:40pm and the official opening of Traverse at 6pm.

Nicci Haynes: Incidental TV

Contemporary artist Nicci Haynes presents a new iteration of her peephole camera series. Incidental TV consists of many screens arranged casually in the space. Each screen displays a short experimental film or animation. Generally created without following the narrative conventions of ‘film’,” mostly without a story or plot. Join Nicci for the official opening at 6pm.

Click here to book for the openings and artist talks.

To book for one or all sessions:

Online here

OR call TAC on 6293 1443

OR visit the Arts Centre

Pre-order Lunch

A pre-ordered lunch box with a sandwich, bottle of water, and a piece of fruit is available for those who want to have lunch on the day. Lunch boxes will have a banana or an apple and either a chicken or roast beef sandwich.  A vegetarian sandwich option is available. Lunch is $15pp and will be available in the Lodge, between 12:30pm and 1pm. Tea and coffee will also be available. Bookings close on Monday 27 March. Click here to order your lunch.

Program at a Glance:

Sponsors and Partners

Tuggeranong Arts Centre’s Creative Seniors Day has been supported by The ACT Government Community Services Grant program. The day is also supported by Tuggeranong business and community groups.

Voucher give-aways on the day!

Four restaurant vouchers for two valued at $50 each and 100 coffee vouchers are up for grabs, thanks to LDK Seniors’ Living!  LDK’s vision is for every senior Australian to be treated with Love, Decency and Kindness in their ageing journey.  LDK are generously providing lucky prizes for TAC to give-away at Creative Seniors Day so our seniors may experience the unique LDK environment. That means, more than 100 lucky seniors get to enjoy a cuppa at The Atrium Café or The Brook Café, or lunch at The Views Restaurant and a chance to visit and tour the beautiful Greenway Views village