OWL program to promote senior social media use

Seniors creative members of our communities are set to become social media savvy thanks to an innovative program on offer by Tasmanian Regional Arts.

TRA’s Older, Wiser and connected onLine, or OWL program, sets out to engage senior members of the arts community through workshops and coaching to promote participation in social media by the over 60 age group.

Executive Director of Tasmanian Regional Arts, Paul Jenkins, is delighted that this program will encourage TRA’s senior members to take up social media use as a promotional tool for regional arts activity.

‘Despite the focus on the NBN and its advantages, the current situation is that seniors are the least representative user group on social media for a range of reasons. TRA’s OWL program sets out to provide a safe, learning experience for those interested in using social media to promote their local arts activities, but lack the skills or confidence to do so’.

Older, Wiser and connected onLine will offer a series of face to face and on line workshops that specifically help our senior members to look at how social media can be useful in promoting participation in local arts events and TRA branch activities.

Vice President of Tasmanian Regional Arts, Mr Lee Cole, said that by focusing on the arts, the OWL program would encourage community participation which would lead to a number of positive wellbeing benefits in local communities for seniors.

‘TRA operates thanks to its network of volunteer branch members. What we want to do is to encourage those elders in our branch network to share their experiences and ideas and to make full use of this wonderful technology. It’s a great way to deal with the tyranny of distance and isolation that affect seniors in many regional communities.’ Said Mr Cole.

The OWL program will operate from a series of locations across the state with the full list of venues available from the TRA website and Facebook page soon. To register your interest in the OWL program, please complete the TRA survey and expression of interest form for the OWL program, available from the TRA Facebook page and website. Places are limited so early registration of interest is advised.
Paul Jenkins, Tasmanian Regional Arts