EVAA Strasbourg - Move, keep the momentum going!
“Accept that while we are not as young as we used to be,
we can still be in top form at any age."
The Big Idea
Inspired by the Rhythmics movement, WCE explores new avenues for the World Café through the experimental mix of music, dance, dialogue and art. EVAA Strasbourg was a continuation of the development of this innovative mixture of body movement and music in the spirit of the World Café. Together with its French partner, Cercle des Seniors Actifs (Paris) WCE designed a Keturi experience to promote health with adults aged 50+.
Who was in the room?
A sport gymnasium was transformed into a creative space to explore movement together with team consisting of a facilitator, choreographer and live musicians. 85 adults aged 50+ from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic and the United Kingdom came to the CREPS-Strasbourg sports facilities to try out a new form of World Café for the first time in France.
What did the planners want to achieve?
Neuroscience has established that brain cells are renewed by practising movement. As a result, regular physical activity is beneficial for both the body and the mind. EVAA Strasbourg was designed to break stereotypes about physical movement after the age of 50 as well as connect movement with a positive psychological state during this stage of life.
What are the results and the impact?
The mix of dialogue, choreographed movement, live music and the creation of a collective art sculpture was positively received by the older adults who participated. Both the “Tips & Secrets” written on the puzzle pieces of the sculpture as well as the analysis of the evaluation results confirm that the combination of dialogue, movement and music heightens the affective impact of the Keturi experience as well as fosters a renewed sense of community amongst the participants.
EVAA Strasbourg was one of six dialogues developed as part of the European Voices for Active Ageing (EVAA) project supported by the European Union. EVAA was conceived to empower older adults to re-define their active role in an increasingly aging European society.
