From April 2020 – December 2021, Creative Generation was named an ITAC Innovator and focused on developing an infrastructure within the International Teaching Artist Collaborative (ITAC) to address the gap in research and resources produced by and for the field of teaching artistry. The project engaged volunteers in the teaching artist field from a cross-section of countries to collect, validate, and disseminate tools, resources, and creative/scholarly research in a number of capacities. These include retrofitting the existing knowledge shared through the 2019 Think Tanks, building each into a digital learning module; formulating a strategy to catalog, publish and disseminate research and resources shared through the 2018 and 2020 ITAC conferences; and researching and recommending a sustainable and scalable framework for a clearinghouse of new tools and resources created by and for the field of teaching artistry to be located within ITAC’s digital platform. Read more about this project there.
From this work, ITAC hosts monthly Think Tanks, where a host from a different part of the world shares insights about their work, and in discussion with attendees, digs deep about the ways this could help you develop your own practice. The Think Tanks are edited, archived, and connected to additional resources across the sector.
Check out the latest archives here:
The Arts: Promoting Female Education In Ghana (Janury 2019)
Peter Atsu Adaletey (Africa)
What can the arts do for young women and girls in Ghana? Around the world?
In January of 2019, Peter Atsu Adaletey provided a brief overview of his work in Ghana and the important role that the arts can play in not only building girls’ self-esteem and sense of self-worth but also in changing the way that society sees them by witnessing their transformation. Over the course of an hour, a community of practice begins to develop among the artists and teaching artists who were able to tune in live.
Precious Sefakor Amegbor and Sediname Delight Atsyor joined Peter to lead ITAC’s inaugural Think Tank Session.
For his work in Ghana with young women, especially through theatre, Peter was one of ITAC’s Catalysts in 2018.
Socio-Cultural Awareness And Culturally Responsive Teaching (February 2019)
Monique Van Willingh (United States)
What biases do we carry with us into classrooms and creative spaces? Have we been the benefits of unearned privilege? How can we recognize and navigate moments in which we’re members of a dominant or excluded group?
In February of 2019, Monique Van Willingh, Director of Music and Social Change at Longy School of Music at Bard College in New York, USA, provided a brief overview of her current research into concepts of privilege, oppression, and intersectionality. The presentation’s ultimate goal was to share an intersectionality framework, curated from many sources by Monique.
The session was highly interactive and encouraged moments of storytelling, allowing participants to explore how these concepts impact their teaching artistry.
Handling Therapeutic Experiences In Theatrical Settings (March 2019)
Zdenka Svitekova (Slovakia)
What are the intersections between the arts and healing? What are the intersections in these disciplines and what are the lines that separate them? How does the ability to play, create, and collaborate unlock healing?
In March of 2019, Zdenka Svitekova shared her intergenerational work with the group Ostruzina in the Czech Republic. Their work is centered around participatory experiences that bring audiences onto the stage to engage in what they call “open space” and “free play”. These experiences are liberatory and healing - unlocking surprising reactions among youth and adult participants.
Over the course of the session, a community of practice begins to develop among the artists and teaching artists who were able to tune in live.
Zdenka was joined by her colleagues Barbora and Eva to host the session.