From the Desk of Andrew Morton

May 25, 2022

As the TimeSlips community continues to grow, we’re introducing you to each of our team members and highlighting the work that benefits YOUR creative engagement. From managing myriad details of member requests, creating content for communications, to individual training and large-scale organizational partnerships, these are the faces behind the TimeSlips team. It’s our joy to get to know you, and for you to get to know us!

This week we would like to introduce you to Andrew Morton.

What’s your role at TimeSlips and how long have you been with them?
I am currently a Program Manager responsible for our Friends & Family and Creative Campus programs. I’ve been with TimeSlips since late 2018.

What is one project you’ve been working on lately that benefits TimeSlips’ community?
I’m going to be greedy and mention two projects. 🙂

Earlier this year, I supported the first phase of our Tele-Stories project in Western New York. We trained four community-engaged artists in TimeSlips techniques, and then matched them with isolated older adults in the greater Buffalo area. Over eight weeks, the artists led their “tele-buddies” in creative conversations over the phone, and at the end of the project, they each created an artistic gift inspired by their conversations. We were lucky to find a great group of artists to work with, and my weekly meetings with them were always a highlight of my working week.

I also recently took on more responsibility with our creative campus programs, so I’m working with faculty and staff and various colleges and universities who are exploring ways to incorporate TimeSlips into their programs. Prior to joining TimeSlips, I taught theatre at the college level for 10 years, so I’m enjoying the opportunity to support other educators who want to provide their students with a meaningful, creative experience in the classroom.

What would be your perfect day off?
It would start with taking my dog Colette for a walk, either to the park across the street from my apartment. Or if she’s been good, down towards the river. I live in downtown Detroit and we are really close to a beautiful riverwalk that offers a great view of Canada.

Then if it’s a sunny day, I’d spend some time at the pool in my apartment complex, which is always amazingly quiet for being in the middle of the city.

In the evening, I’d head out to dinner with my husband and then to a concert or a show in the city. Detroit is an incredibly creative city with an amazing arts and culture scene, so there’s always something to see or do.

What’s one thing people might not know about you?
In addition to working for TimeSlips, I’m a published playwright and I continue to work on a lot of creative projects of my own. A play I wrote many years before I joined TimeSlips tells the story of an intergenerational friendship between a teenager who recently lost his father and an older neighbor who tends a community garden in his backyard. I didn’t know much about TimeSlips when I wrote the play, but now I feel incredibly lucky to have a job that helps promote positive and creative relationships between older adults and younger people. Both have so much to learn from each other.