Healthy Arts for Seniors, 2025
…and we’re back with another season of Healthy Arts for Seniors with Scarborough Arts, 2025!
Our first workshop of the season took place at the Royal Ontario Museum in downtown Toronto.
South Asian Community Engagement Coordinator, Farrukh Rafiq, led our program’s senior participants through a powerful, and eye-opening session on stereographs, Orientalism, the construction of the “Other,” and how the west has historically suspended the East in its imagination, justifying colonial horrors across history.
Together, we explored comparative analyses of Orientalism across mediums and eras: from sepia-toned photographs of highly Orientalized cities like Cairo and Lahore, to Hollywood films and classical paintings that still reiterate harmful distortions.
The conversations and exchanges were sharp, critical, and deeply engaging.
Scarborough and Markham region seniors had the opportunity to connect with and learn from experts at the ROM and they also enjoyed complimentary access to the museum after their interactive workshop.
Watching the HAFS participants forge new friendships and wander through the galleries, making their own discoveries, was such a joy to witness.
This is only the beginning of what promises to be another season of HAFS filled with art, learning, community and connection for seniors.
With immense gratitude to Farrukh Rafiq and Faith Rajasingham. 🫶🏽
Don’t forget to follow the HAFS blog for updates:
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