On Tuesday, June 4, 2019, TCG invites you to join with education colleagues from across the country to explore three major interconnected themes: 1) Youth Voice and Empowerment; 2) #MeToo and Education -- How do we protect young people in our theatres: 3) Trauma Informed Care
Inclusion and Empowerment of Youth Voices
How do we incorporate young people in our planning and programs? Beyond teen councils, how are we making decisions with them and taking into account what they need? The world is rapidly changing and theatre education departments are on the front lines in developing and sustaining partnerships with community organizations and providing training for young people. To what extent are youth being given decision-making involvement? How are education departments being intentional about the inclusion of youth voices?
Safety of Youth in our Theatres
How safe are young people in our theatres? At last year’s National Conference in St. Louis in TCG’s Town Hall on sexual misconduct in the field, several young adults shared their experiences with harassment in early experiences working at theatres. What policies do theatres have in place around anti-harassment? How do those policies specifically address working with students, and early career or young or vulnerable adults? Do these youth policies/procedures/trainings go beyond the education staff in our institutions? How is the entire theatre staff made aware of their responsibilities to young people? Are there emergency management plans in place? There are so many types of education programs that go beyond interactions with education staff such as job shadowing, internships, summer programs, watching rehearsals, special events, student matinees, classes, etc. How can we make sure that theatre’s culture, beyond the confines of individual education departments, doesn’t condone harassment and/or silence survivors, and facilitates a field-wide understanding of our responsibilities to each other, and to young and vulnerable adults and students.
Trauma-Informed Care
What is the role of theatre education departments in determining and harnessing the healing capabilities of the arts? How can theatres develop and utilize a Social Emotional Learning curriculum and trauma-informed pedagogy to better align with our values and better serve our communities? Various programs will be explored, including Cleveland Playhouse’s theatre education program, CARE, which draws on lessons from social emotional learning theories, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based literacy learning for grades K-8. CARE was also designed to improve school culture and safety, as well as the development of theatre skills.
Finally, in all of these areas, how do we centralize students’ voices, safety, and identify the tools we need to engage with the trauma that our students face in the world today, and prepare them for what they may face in the future? How do we talk about race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and socio-economics in this work? What are the action steps for education programs that move us in that direction?
A detailed Education Staff Pre-Conference agenda will be coming soon.
Registration for the Education Staff Pre-Conference may be selected as part of the National Conference registration here. If you would like to attend the Pre-Conference, but cannot attend the Conference proper, please register here.