In the July/August issue of American Theatre, TCG Executive Director Ben Cameron refers to an "art and education conundrum" in which theatres are rapidly being asked to share the load of bringing arts education to young people. With an increased emphasis on testing and limited education funding, more and more schools are cutting arts programs for their students. Cameron observes that this places theatres in the position of balancing their arts programming with their educational emphasis. He also refers to Roger Bedard's recent article in TYA Today entitled "Negotiating Marginalization: TYA and the Schools." (Make sure you check out the next issue of TYA Today, which contains responses to Roger's article and a study by David Kilpatrick regarding school vs. public performances).

In the TYA field, the terms "arts education" and "teaching artist" are parts of our vernacular. We asked several theatre professionals from around the country for their reflections on what it means to be a teaching artist and the relationship between art and education. We posed the following questions as a launching pad for their essays:

How do you define the relationship between art and education?
Are art and education mutually exclusive? If so, how so. If not, why not?
How does that relationship influence the work that you do?
What are your responsibilities (if any) as an artist and an educator toward your community?
What should the responsibilities (if any) of artists and educators be toward the community/ies they serve?

The following are their unique and thought-provoking responses.
-NEXT editors Michelle Kozlak and Ruth Mercado

"There is only one subject matter for education, and that is Life in all its manifestations."

- Alfred North Whitehead

"Intellect compounded with feeling moves toward the highest kind of learning: toward wisdom, the goal for all education."

- Kenneth E. Eble

I believe that art is education. There is an act of growth that occurs in every encounter with art - and to me, education is about growing human beings. So, when I grow in awareness or empathy, when I grow in understanding or sensitivity, I am being educated.

Our school systems in the United States do not always support the growth of the whole child. Schools do not always acknowledge that children bring their whole selves to school - their emotional lives, their physical states, their intellectual presence, their spiritual beings.

Because I am passionate about both art and the development of young people, I believe it is my responsibility to do something to remedy the apparent disparity. As an artist, it is my responsibility to engage in dialogue with schools about the nature of education. Artists do not live on an island. We cannot divorce ourselves from the political, cultural, and socio-economic context in which we live, as much as we may want to at times.

I directed James Still's and Michael Keck's A Village Fable last season. Why? Because I was passionate about the story it told and excited about the theatrical possibilities it presented. Why else? Because I believed (and still do) that it is a story that young people need to hear. Did they hear it? Not enough of them. The challenges in marketing a production to schools that even mentions the word suicide were monumental. Did that stop me? No. Should it have?

We are constantly faced with decisions as artists, producers, educators, human beings; we weigh benefits against costs on a daily basis. Perhaps I will never know whether or not I should have directed and produced Fable last year. But I do know that a young woman has now made a choice to do theatre/drama work in prisons because of her interaction with Michael during his residency here. I do know that the unsolicited letter from an audience member about his gratitude to have discovered someone who understands will stay with me forever.

In choosing to produce A Village Fable did I put the blinders on to the context of the community in which I live? I prefer to think that I chose to challenge the existing boundaries of "acceptable" and "unacceptable" material. I prefer to think that I began a conversation about a topic that is often difficult to discuss. I prefer to think that I raised questions about how we isolate each other in the communities that we call home.

Responsibility. I am responsible for expanding the awareness of my community (myself included). I am responsible for creating a space for dialogue between dissenting voices. I am responsible for asking better questions. I assume these responsibilities as both artist and educator. I assume these responsibilities as a contributing member of a democratic society. At present, these responsibilities are all the more pressing as the foundation of democracy daily decays.

Rachel Briley is in her third year at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she serves as the director of the MFA program in Theatre for Youth and the artistic director of the North Carolina Theatre for Young People. She has also taught at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI and Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. She holds an MFA in Theatre for Youth from Arizona State University in Tempe and a BA in Music from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She can be reached at r_briley@uncg.edu.

As a playwright, I pride myself on creating the types of stories that not only entertain, but educate. Being a Chicano playwright (a label I proudly accept), I continue the tradition of writing about our cultura through a sociopolitical perspective. However, as is the situation with most artists, I struggle to find the elusive "gig" that is meant to help fund MY art and pay MY bills. I, for one, am actively seeking a role in the teaching process. As I attempt this, I clearly see that more needs to be done in uniting education (theatre departments) and theatre practitioners. The reality is that there exists an uncomfortable relationship between the two; as the cliché goes, "those who do, do. Those who don't.teach."

The previous statement was not meant as a slight against higher education, but one does tend to see reoccurring patterns. Many times, I have participated in environments where I was being instructed by faculty members who had no expertise in the class being taught. Fast-forward a few years and now my role has changed from student to outside observer, but the problem still thrives. The lack of regard for one's specialty in theatre departments across the country is equivalent of having a physics professor teach biology. I am sure most people would consider that idea nonsense. If it would be considered absurd in one field of study why wouldn't it be in "ours"? And, by "ours" I am speaking about all the different aspects of theatre. It belittles the study and practice of theatre; somehow, reflecting the sense that theatre is not taken as seriously as other majors in the sciences and humanities.Playwrights should teach playwriting. Theatre historians should be teaching history. Actors should be teaching acting. I am also not so oblivious to think that economics may play a role in the types of decisions that have to be made but, in the end, ways have to be found to create a learning environment that reflects the different facets of art; the study, application and appreciation of a discipline we all hold dear to our hearts.

Another point that is disturbing to me deals with the issue of diversity, or the lack thereof, in education. Throughout history, artists have been known to act as visionaries for society. In that same way, theatre educators must follow suit. Not only should they mirror the "real world", they should act to advance it. As an artist of color, I recognize that the problems I face dealing with mainstream theatre are mirrored in institutions of higher learning. Diversity is more rhetoric than action. This problem is also reflected in what theatre educators decide does or does not get taught. Every Latino, African-American and any other ethnic theatre class I have taken has been in departments other than theatre. That should not be the case. Our multicultural canon must be included and taught by those who understand it. Also, diversity within the ranks of faculty is still years away from being fair and equitable; creating an environment that will only affect, not only universities, but mainstream theatre, as well.

Educators and artists need to find a way to disentangle this archaic model. Educators need to understand that art needs to be both integrated and respected from, at least, some distance. However, I will not lay all the blame on educators. Artists must also be responsible for their role in this social jigsaw puzzle. They have to recognize the fact that most students in theatre departments will not be writing for Broadway or winning an Academy Award. They will, ultimately, join the ranks of other professions due to the fact that the life of an artist is one of struggle and love; mixed in with hard work, patience and a little luck. That being the case, artists who agree to join the world of higher education must understand that they are now more than artists. They have become educators, as well. I have seen artists in the university setting who teach merely to supplement their income. In the end, they only serve to cause more damage than good, perpetuating the idea that educators are second class citizens. Artists need to realize that their role is not only to mentor new artists, but to educate students; hopefully, sending intelligent and humane individuals out into the world.

In the end, though, this essay is about a playwright looking for a teaching gig; frustrated by what he has seen and by what he might be getting himself into. This is a playwright ranting and raving. This is a playwright whose proud history values education and making a difference. This is a playwright who acknowledges that there will always be differences between those who create art and those who study it. However, both are equally responsible for the lives in their charge. Both groups will be producing the playwrights, designers and artistic directors of the future, as well as the insurance salesmen, lawyers and business people of the future. Artists and educators need to work together to create a system wherein those who learn under them appreciate and learn from the knowledge and experience that both groups have to offer.

José Casas is a playwright/actor from Southern California who is a recent graduate of Arizona State University's Creative Writing (Playwriting) Program. His works include, 14, the vine, all brown all chingon and Mindprobe/Freddie's Dead. He is currently commissioned to write two plays for Mesa Youth Theatre in Arizona and his most recent work, 14, will be published in Spring 2005 as part of the work: Ethnodrama: An Anthology of Reality Theatre, edited by Professor Johnny Saldaña. He can be reached at chicano_power_14@yahoo.com.

According to Webster's dictionary, pedagogy is "the art, science or profession of teaching." A successful educator requires not only knowledge of standard teaching techniques, but also the desire to uncover the most prosperous way for an individual to learn. Educators must be familiar with the classroom setting to help students capitalize on their potential. What is missing in the world of arts education is an understanding of the students we wish to influence.

Most arts educators organize programs in the office, without any knowledge of the teacher and students' needs. How is this effective? Most of us have never spent a large amount of time in a classroom. We look through curriculum standards to know what students should be learning, but we don't know how they process the information. One student may learn differently than another; therefore, it is essential for us, as educators, to know what techniques benefit each child by experimenting inside the classroom.

In our profession, we explore different styles of teaching to illustrate the various ways we process information, but how can we implement these findings into our programs without knowing if they will have a positive outcome? Each time I enter a classroom I assess the students' needs and develop different methods based on their performance. With my younger students I have found children's books to be a wonderful teaching tool. We read picture books to incorporate both auditory and visual skills. After reading we discuss the plot and act out the story in small groups, each picking a part. With markers, everyone draws their favorite scene and then we share them and act out the scene again. By combining the auditory, visual and physical in one session, children can grasp concepts easier then if taught from one source.

As arts educators, we plan a lot of conferences for people just like ourselves. We learn how to build and evaluate programs. We learn how to make the most of a small budget. We know the standard mechanics of our job, but we forget the art of teaching; we are educators as well as artists. It is essential for us to know for whom we create the programs; therefore, the only way for arts education to prosper is to get inside the classroom and communicate with the students one-on-one.

Not every arts educator has the time to go teach a class. However, we need to remember to connect and interact with the students in our community. Make the time to observe a class at your institution and attend each of the programs you administrator. Reach out to your community and volunteer to tutor or mentor a child. Do this and you will remember why you got involved in the field and what a difference you can make in the lives of others.

Lauren Kane is from Columbus, OH and is a graduate of Indiana Univeristy's department of Theatre and Drama. She has been working within the Washington, DC arts education community for three years with such organizations as Round House Theatre and The DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative. She is currently the Elementary Education Program Coordinator with the Folger Shakespeare Library and runs an outreach program for DC Public Schools. She can be reached at lkane@FOLGER.edu

I have no interest in teaching kids how to become actors, ever. At the risk of offending my colleagues in the field, I believe that "training programs" or "academies" for aspiring actors is an idea that needs to be reconsidered and revolutionized. I firmly believe I am doing a disservice to encourage any child to pursue a career where so few actually "make it," let alone make a living, and too often encourages young people (especially girls) to mercilessly scrutinize their own bodies to conform to somebody else's idea of beauty. I prefer to spend my time encouraging my young people to go to college, in any field they choose, rather than encouraging them to pursue a career option where success is based on a set of conditions that is largely out of their control. It is education that will save some of my students from a life of poverty, not necessarily the theater.

Nevertheless, I do teach acting, improvisation and creative drama on a daily basis. It's my job to educate children through theater, and, in my mind, this is a completely separate function than training young people to become actors. What excites and energizes me most as a teaching artist is not developing acting talent, but using the power of theater to build community. I am a rooftop-shouting advocate for theater that provides children with a sense of belonging to a community. A feeling of belonging leads children to a sense of responsibility to their community. This is the real gift that theater can give every child. Creating theater is a job for more than one, for many different minds coming together to find common ground and reach a singular goal. You can't do it alone!

In our advocacy efforts, many of us rely heavily on the argument that engagement in theater builds self-esteem. However, I have come to understand that self-esteem happens only in an atmosphere where the child feels part of a community. It is my responsibility as a theater educator to create a safe, welcoming and non-competitive community where every child I teach has equal opportunity for success. Often this means that there are no starring roles, no competitive improvisation games and no big show at the end. Instead of spending time training to become actors, our time is spent exploring the creative process in an atmosphere that supports risk-taking, which may or may not lead to the traditional product-a performance. Too often, a performance pushes children into the spotlight before they are ready, and becomes about pleasing parents and making teachers look good.

We have the opportunity as theater educators to take the focus off what we are producing, and think more about what we are creating. Let's create an environment in our education programs for children where they learn how to listen to other people's ideas and feelings, how to work together toward a common goal and how to solve problems together in new ways. Let's work alongside teachers and parents to mentor children into adults who assume positions of responsibility and stewardship towards their community. Let's forget about training future actors-we will never have a shortage of those-and instead help create the conditions that foster creative teachers, creative business people and creative thinkers and entrepreneurs who become our future leaders. There is nothing more valuable than a child who becomes a happy and successful adult who feels connected to the world.

We need fresh thinking in the ways we teach theater, one that embraces all our children-the shy, the learning disabled, the economically disadvantaged, the awkward and the angry. These children should be as much a part of our community as the children born with loads of theatrical talent. We need to take risks in the programming we are offering our communities to get beyond the traditional acting class. In his recent essay in American Theatre, Ben Cameron speaks of the "art and education conundrum" that all theaters face as decreased arts education funding in the schools leads them to shoulder more of the burden of exposing children to the arts. In TYA, we have traditionally seen this "burden" much more as a responsibility we gladly embrace, and we now have an unprecedented opportunity to lead the charge in the larger community of American theater to rejuvenate and reenergize theater education with radical new thinking about how all children experience theater.

Emily Petkewich is the Education Director of Metro Theater Company in St. Louis, MO, and an editor of NEXT. She can be reached at emily@metrotheatercompany.org.

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Point/Counterpoint: Exploring the Art and Education Conundrum

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