1. 'You Want to Be a Part of Everything': The Arts, Community, & Learning. A Report from the September 2003 Forum of the Arts Education Partnership (Lincoln Center, New York City)
- Author
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Arts Education Partnership, Smyth, Laura, and Stevenson, Lauren
- Abstract
On September 18th 2003, the director of the Human Creativity youth arts program at Central Falls High School in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and four of its youth leaders enter Lincoln Center in New York City. They are there to present their program's work at a national forum held by the Arts Education Partnership (AEP). The forum is one of three that AEP holds each year engaging its partner organizations across the country in critical conversations to advance the field of arts education. This forum will focus on the role of the arts in building community, particularly positive learning communities for youth. Waiting for the others to arrive, Human Creativity's four youth leaders, Elisa Ferreira, Raziel Ferreira, Cecilia Flores, and Anyeli Rivera, and their director, Deanna Camputaro, are excited and nervous. AEP has charged them and the representatives from the four other presenting organizations to determine the central issues and ideas that should frame the discussions at Lincoln Center. When the forum convened, Kurt Wootton, the director of the Brown University ArtsLiteracy Project, set the stage with his opening remarks, "'Community This' and 'Community That.'" Wootton described the work of ArtsLiteracy--which integrates literacy and performing arts instruction--and provided a framework for grappling with issues of arts, education, and community. Wootton was not alone on stage. As a way of showing how community building is inseparable from the work that happens at ArtsLiteracy, Wootton presented his remarks alongside a chorus of young people and teaching artists representing the multiple voices of ArtsLiteracy. When the second day of the meeting began, this panel of young people shared their thoughts with the captive audience of (adult) forum participants. Their comments reinforced and further brought to life Wootton's discussion of the four characteristics of effective youth arts practice that support teaching and learning. "'Community This' and 'Community That'" by Kurt Wootton and the ArtsLiteracy Project is appended.
- Published
- 2003