In this episode of Why Change? you’ll meet the inspiring entrepreneur, Tee Sandifer, and learn about how she grew her arts organization into a social change empire for youth, family and communities. Building upon knowledge of self and her community’s needs, Miss Tee’s studio has taken off in a phase of rapid growth since the pandemic hit in 2020, as she works to re-educate families and community leaders about the integral role the arts can play in everyday life. Co-hosts Ashraf and Jeff reflect on the work of Studio T and the social responsibility of young artists as public servants in their communities.
In this episode you’ll learn:
How we can and should expand our definition of what art is and where it happens.
How citizenship is an example of applied creativity.
An example of an arts organization’s rapid growth and development during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
Check out some of the things mentioned during this podcast, including:
Please download the transcript here.
ABOUT TAMAIRA “MISS T” SANDIFER
A 30-year dance education expert specializing in pulling the best out of youth. She has developed some of Hollywood’s most sought after young dancers including THE 2016 winner of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, 2018 World of Dance stars, members of the Jabbawockeez, and more. But to her, some of the biggest successes of her program have come from students who finished high school and went on to become college graduates.
As CEO and founder of Studio T Arts & Entertainment, PassToClass.com, California’s Day of Dance, Side Hustle Academy, LVL Up and @SweetTeeTime, Miss Tee’s heartbeat is to champion the development of every child, build confidence and character as well as develop a conquering spirit that believes anything in possible.
Sandifer’s success in building this organization is the direct result of her own struggles and triumphs growing up in Richmond to a single mom raising five siblings. Early in her career as a teaching artist she consistently saw disinterested kids suddenly electrified by the prospect of learning a new move. Her studio in Sacramento now offers local students much more than dance lessons; at Studio T, young people from all backgrounds become skilled professionals in performance and stage crew, graphic and costume design, photography and videography, and of course, choreography. Sandifer’s “whole person” approach addresses every young person’s needs so they can heal, connect, and flourish as key participants in the creative marketplace. Her influence on the creative economy is not only evident in the work that she is doing today, but will have a lasting impact through the many lives she's changed on her life mission.
She serves over 192,000 youth and 7,800 educators in school districts throughout Northern California and across the country every year through educational partnerships & enrichment programs related to physical as well as mental & emotional health. Her passionate advocacy for the arts has taken her to the State Capitol where she partners with local and national civic leaders to bring arts-inspired, socially and culturally relevant incentives to the academic day.
This episode of Why Change? A Podcast for the Creative Generation was powered by Creative Generation. It was produced and edited by Daniel Stanley. Artwork by Bridget Woodbury. Music by Distant Cousins.