Published on November 13, 2025 | NYC Department for the Aging
NYC Cabinet for Older New Yorkers Releases New Guidebook: “Age-Inclusive NYC Arts & Culture: Best Practices for Creative Aging”
The new guidebook – created by the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers with leadership from the Department for the Aging and Department of Cultural Affairs – highlights case studies and best practices from 13 city-supported non-profit arts organizations engaged in meaningful work with older audiences
New York, NY –The NYC Cabinet for Older New Yorkers (CONY) released Age-Inclusive NYC Arts & Culture: Best Practices for Creative Aging on October 30, 2025. Developed with leadership from CONY member agencies NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and NYC Department for the Aging (NYC Aging), the guidebook features case studies from 13 DCLA-supported cultural nonprofits with programs that engage older New Yorkers in deep, innovative, and meaningful ways. The guidebook offers a roadmap for organizations seeking to expand creative aging programming for older adults in New York City and beyond.
“The Age-Inclusive NYC Arts & Culture report is both a celebration and a call to action — recognizing that access to arts and culture is something every resident deserves, and that older New Yorkers have as much to contribute to our city’s creative life as we have to offer them. By highlighting artists, organizations, and residents breaking down barriers to participation at every age, this report invites us all to build a more welcoming, inclusive, and vibrant cultural community,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo.
“Whether it’s to express themselves or to tap into a new found talent, the art classes offered at our older adult centers remain among our most popular programs, said NYC Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. “With this new guidebook, communities nationwide can now bring similar programs to their residents. Our cultural institutions play a vital role in helping older adults age in place, and through the Cabinet, these connections have only grown stronger. I thank Commissioner Cumbo and everyone who helped make this guidebook possible.”
“As chair of the New York City Council Committee on Aging and local representative for the cultural capital of Brooklyn, ensuring our city has an age-inclusive approach to arts and culture is of deep significance to me and my constituents,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson, Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Aging. “NYC Aging is continuing its innovative, collaborative approach to supporting older adults by releasing the Age-Inclusive NYC Arts & Culture guidebook that will ensure our city’s diverse cultural sector has the expertise needed to serve the growing number of older adults in our city. Every older adult should have the opportunity to age in place in the community they call home, and that includes enjoying their community’s cultural programming in a way that meets their changing needs. The City Council will continue to fight for greater resources for our older adults – like funding for transportation, virtual programming, and more – to ensure our community arts and culture organizations have the resources they need to better meet their older patrons.”
New York City’s cultural landscape is rich with examples of high-quality creative aging programming. The city’s SU-CASA program, funded by the City Council and administered by DCLA in partnership with NYC Aging, is the largest creative aging program in the country with a more than $3.8 million allocation in the current fiscal year. Dozens of groups across the city, including those featured in the guidebook, continue to make engaging older adults central to their work.
Currently, 1.8 million New Yorkers are aged 60 and older, and that number is expected to grow. Nationwide, 10,000 baby boomers become older adults every day, and as one of the leading cultural cities in the world, the guidebook will help other cities ensure their older adult population has an opportunity to be creative and have full access to their cultural institutions.
Today, more than 42% of older Americans aged 65+ live alone. This social isolation can lead to heart disease, dementia, depression and even a stroke. But when they can access cultural activities or visit a museum or library, they are making social connections while getting the mental stimulation they need to reduce these risks. Not only are they happier, but they remain connected to their communities.
The guidebook was unveiled during a launch event that included an interactive panel discussion called Age-Inclusive NYC Arts & Culture: Best Practices for Creative Aging, where insights from the guidebook were discussed by representatives from DCLA, NYC Aging and the institutions mentioned in it. The guidebook is also available on CONY’s website.
Encompassing a range of disciplines, communities, and approaches, the guidebook features examples collected from in-depth interviews with 13 local cultural organizations, including:
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
- The Bronx Documentary Center
- Brooklyn Art Song Society
- Concerts in Motion
- Dances for a Variable Population
- IlluminArt Productions
- Mark Morris Dance Group
- ¡Oye! Group
- Queens Museum
- Sundog Theatre
- Teachers and Writers Collaborative
- Teatro Círculo
- Vocal Ease
“Creative aging is a part of Sundog Theatre’s mission to connect people through the arts. We believe that creativity has no age limit — older adults bring a wealth of experience, perspective, and imagination that enriches our entire community. Contributing to this guidebook allows us to share what we’ve learned and to join a broader movement that values lifelong artistic engagement and inclusion,” said Susan Fenley, Executive Director, Sundog Theatre.
“The Healing Room is where our elders breathe in the art,
Where their memory paints, their laughter dances,
and time slows down long enough to listen to each other radically.
We pay them not just for their presence and time,
But for the wisdom they pour into the room and our blocks.
Each story, each gesture, each rhyme, and each breath
Becomes a brushstroke of healing as a community.
This isn’t therapy, it’s a ceremony, it’s a celebration.
A room where dignity hums, joy grows wild, and creation keeps us alive,” said Modesto Flako Jimenez / ¡OYE! Group.
“At Dances for a Variable Population, we believe that access to artistic expression and movement is essential to well-being, and that when we help people age with creativity, strength, and connection, we all benefit! It’s been a gift to be part of this effort and to now see how the Age-Inclusive NYC Arts & Culture report lifts up the learnings of a community of practitioners, inviting more people to join, expand, and imagine new age-inclusive arts practices!” said Navarra Novy-Williams, Executive Director Dances for a Variable Population.
Established by Mayor Eric Adams in 2022, the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers aims to reduce silos among city agencies that directly or indirectly work with older adults to establish practices and policies to create an age-inclusive city.
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About NYC Department of Cultural Affairs:
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is dedicated to supporting and strengthening New York City’s vibrant cultural life. DCLA works to promote and advocate for quality arts programming and to articulate the contribution made by the cultural community to the City’s vitality. The Department represents and serves nonprofit cultural organizations involved in the visual, literary, and performing arts; public-oriented science and humanities institutions including zoos, botanical gardens, and historic and preservation societies; and creative artists at all skill levels who live and work within the City’s five boroughs. DCLA also provides donated materials for arts programs offered by the public schools and cultural and social service groups, and commissions permanent works of public art at City-funded construction projects throughout the five boroughs. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/culture.
About NYC Aging:
The NYC Department for the Aging’s (NYC Aging) mission is to eliminate ageism and empower older adults to live independently in their communities. Through a network of more than 300 older adult centers and naturally occurring retirement communities, NYC Aging provides vital programs and resources to nearly 1.8 million older New Yorkers, fostering their physical and mental well-being.
