Exhale Memory Café Collective
An Arts-Based Initiative Supporting Southeast Michigan’s Aging Communities
CultureSource is proud to lead the Southeast Michigan Exhale Memory Café Collective, an innovative program designed to support older adults living with memory loss and their caregivers through arts and culture. With generous funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, this initiative connects Southeast Michigan’s cultural organizations with the tools, training, and financial support needed to launch and sustain memory cafés—welcoming spaces that offer creative engagement, connection, and respite.
Why Memory Cafés?
Memory cafés are community-based gatherings that provide safe, inclusive environments for people experiencing dementia or other cognitive changes, along with their care partners. Through storytelling, music, visual art, and more, these spaces foster joy, reduce stigma, and help people feel seen and supported.
Program Timeline:
September 2025 – March 2027
The Collective will unfold in three key phases:
Phase 1: Community Engagement & Recruitment
We’ll introduce the memory café model to our network, raise awareness about dementia-friendly programming, and identify member organizations prepared to lead this important work.
Phase 2: Workshops & Training
Participants will engage in 8–10 workshops—virtual and in-person—covering memory café best practices, creative problem-solving, and program planning.
Phase 2: Café Launch & Learning Cohort
Ten new memory cafés will be launched, and existing cafés will receive continued support.
Program Benefits:
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Up to $30,000 in grant support for new cafés
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Up to $10,000 for existing cafés
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Cohort-based learning and individualized technical assistance
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Marketing and communications support
- Opportunities to shape a regional network of dementia-friendly cultural programming
Questions?
Reach out to grants@culturesource.org
Eligibility:
Eligible organizations must: (eligibilty applies to both new and existing Memory Cafe’s)
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Be based in or serve communities within Southeast Michigan (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Monroe, Livingston, and St. Clair.)
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Be a cultural organization (e.g., museum, arts center, performing arts organization, library, etc.).
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Demonstrate a commitment to supporting older adults, particularly those experiencing memory loss and their care partners.
- Be willing to dedicate staff time to attend workshops and training sessions (August–September 2025).
- Be able to plan and implement memory café programming starting in October 2025.
- Be open to collaboration and participation in a peer learning cohort from October 2025 to March 2027.
