Kairos Alive!

WATCH: We encourage people to believe, belong, and act!

We empower connection, hope and well-being in elders, their families and communities through dance, music, story, and arts and health research learning.

In addition to our popular in-person community events, we offer a weekly Zoom-delivered, 2-way interactive "TV show," Kairos Clubhouse™. It's an exciting mix between Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Reading Rainbow, American Bandstand and Science Friday. 

WHO: Kairos Clubhouse™ participants include people at senior centers and organizations who serve people with disabilities in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Aitken, Detroit Lakes, Ada, Windom, Preston, Northome, Bemidji, Walker, Two Harbors, Worthington, Morris, Benson, Winona, East Grand Forks, Big Lake, Floodwood, and St. James. MN.

WHAT WE DO: Kairos Alive! transforms lives through dance and story, and raises awareness of the importance of creative involvement across the lifespan for verifiable health benefits. Our Choreography of Care™ programs promote personal and community well-being through our Intergenerational Dance Hall™ public participation events, our Dancing Heart™ weekly programming, our Community Arts & Wellbeing™ Residencies, and our Digital Dance Floor/Kairos Clubhouse™ weekly 2-way online interactive arts and health engagement show.

We empower intergenerational and intercultural communities through participatory dance, music and story — with elders at the center.

BACKGROUND: Kairos Alive! is a 24-year-old Minnesota nonprofit, evidence-based, arts and health social impact organization based in the power of creativity engagement that promotes individual and group leadership for healthy active lifestyles.  Kairos Alive! is a recognized pioneer in the Arts and Health/Creative Aging movements. Programs have won national awards from the American Public Health Association and the American Society on Aging. They are recognized as models by the National Center for Creative Aging, and the National Endowment for the Arts, and were featured in the PBS documentary, ARTS AND THE MIND. To date, six studies have been based on the work of Kairos which simultaneously addresses social, emotional and physical determinants of health. Work like Kairos’ is shown to result in less depression, better balance, fewer falls, maintenance of cognition, increase in activities, fewer doctor visits, less medication use, and better overall health. (A 17-page literature review relevant to our work is available.) Kairos has spent 6 years developing popular online webcasts linking participants in the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota, Wisconsin, California and Florida. 

CURRENT PROJECTS: There are two major current projects: (1) A 2-way arts and health engagement webcast, Kairos Clubhouse™, reaching participants in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota supported by multiple funders, (2) An in-person arts and health engagement series with neuro-divergent youth at Minnesota Independence College and Community in Richfield, MN, supported by the FS Foundation. 

WATCH THIS STORY ABOUT OUR IN-PERSON AND 2-WAY WEBCAST PROGRAMS: