Art is central to thriving and healthy communities, offering limitless potential and power to catalyze transformative change at individual, collective, and structural levels. Therefore, examining the relationships artists, art facilitators, -curators, and -educators have to a space and community is foundational to an ethical and justice-oriented creative practice.
Read moreMaking the Public, Public
The author was placed with The Pittsburgh Public Theater to help implement a Public Works program with six other students. The scope of the project focused on a feasibility study for a large-scale longitudinal engagement project akin to the Public Works programs currently being implemented at a network of theaters around the globe including the Public Theater in New York City, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, the National Theatre in London, and a few others. The primary goal of the project was to evaluate the viability of implementing such a program in Pittsburgh, including researching and assessing potential impact with a variety of potential community partners.
Read moreDocumentary Theatre: A springboard for empathy, justice, and creativity in the classroom
As an actor, educator, scholar, and activist, I’ve learned that one of the best forms of social justice is empowering youth to use their own voice and helping them recognize the power in ceding their narrative to someone who is very different from them. In the words of Maya Angelou, “We can learn to see each other—and see ourselves in each other—and recognize that human beings
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