The term “social justice“ is commonly referenced as the objective of creating a fair and equal society, with equitable distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges, where individual rights are recognized and protected, and decisions are made in ways that are fair and honest. To realize the principles of social justice in and through arts and cultural education, the author considers practical considerations for social justice through the following areas: access and participation, board development, teacher recruitment, and curriculum development.
Read moreTaking Action: Stakeholder Participation and Engagement
A key component of any social change effort is in the engagement and participation of stakeholders. Regardless of the size, stakes, and subject matter of advocacy campaigns, outcomes depend in great part on the engagement of those individuals and groups who care deeply about the issue. Stakeholder engagement describes a process of accountability. How are stakeholders informed and empowered? Stakeholder participation is a metric that is used to look at advocacy effectiveness. Who is engaged and what are the outcomes? In this seventh article in the series, the author examines what it means to take action in advocacy for arts and cultural education.
Read moreUncovering a Missing Narrative: Black* Teaching Artists
In the Spring of 2020, Black Teaching Artist Lab (BTAL) and Creative Generation collaborated in order to examine the prevalence of Black voices in the dialogues about teaching artists and collect ethnographic data - specifically the demographics, attitudes, and perceptions of Black identity in teaching artistry - with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the role of Black teaching artists in the field..
Read moreCollective Impact and Coalition-Building: A Dynamic Relationship
In this sixth article in the series Case-making and Systems Change in Arts and Cultural Education, we explore elements that are foundational to change-making coalitions. The article describes some shared characteristics of collective impact projects and coalition building as well as how they differ. It describes the strategic and structural elements that enable effective coalitions. Coalition building requires advocates to work continuously to align a vision of the ideal with the reality of the everyday. The iterative work of coalitions means continuous improvising, evolving, and a commitment to authentic collaboration.
Read moreSystems Change in Arts Education
In this fifth article in the series Case-making and Systems Change in Arts and Cultural Education, I expand on the theme of Advocacy for the Sector, describing how history has shaped the system of arts education, with a review of the components of our current system.
This article proposes a new systems model of arts and cultural education in an attempt to understand the sectors, influence, supports, and drivers of change.
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