The Advocacy
Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts
advocacy and arts education
EdTA
NEWS
Thespian Inductions Highest in Four
Decades:
EdTA’s Thespian troupes inducted 41,400 new Thespians during the 2014-2015 year
which ended July 31, the highest number of inductions since 1972. Junior
Thespian inductions set an all-time record this year, with 6,007 middle school
students becoming members. Entering this 2015-2016 school year, there are
97,070 active Thespians and 10,209 active Junior Thespians.
NATIONAL
NEWS
Lincoln
Center to Host Global Arts Exchange: To
try to sell the broader world on the importance of cultural expression, the
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan is hosting a global
conference in September, drawing a multidisciplinary slate of business,
government, and cultural leaders, among others, to focus on how the arts
affects communities around the world. (Wall
Street Journal)
University
Awards Tony Bennett and Wife Highest Honor: In
July, George Washington University awarded President’s Medals to Tony Bennett
and his wife, Susan Benedetto for their significant contributions to arts and
arts education. Exploring the Arts, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to
strengthening the role of arts in public education, was started by the couple,
who also founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. (Washington Post)
STATE
NEWS
Got state theatre and other arts
education news you want to share? Send it to Anna amarsala@schooltheatre.org
Arizona:
New “Arts Bridge” Program Launches
Crowd-Funding Campaign (The Nogales International)
California:
Inner-City Arts Empowers
Underserved Kids in Los Angeles
(Huffington Post Black Voices)
Teachers Object to LAUSD Plans to
Cut Arts Instruction Time
(Southern California Public Radio)
Connecticut:
Westport Arts Education Center’s
Education Season Launches
(Minuteman News Center)
Georgia:
Governor’s Committee States Arts
Education Can Improve Student Performance (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Georgia Council for the Arts
Announces Arts Learning Recommendations and Research (Georgia Council for the Arts)
Hawaii:
Turnaround Arts Program Launches in
Three Oahu Schools (KHON2 Honolulu)
Iowa:
The Arts Mean Business in Iowa (The Des Moines Register)
Kentucky:
Kentucky Arts Council Awards more
than $1.2M in Funds (WBKO Kentucky)
Massachusetts:
Teen Pageant Contestant Promotes
Arts Education Platform (Boston Globe)
Missouri:
Stages St. Louis Receives Funding
from Wells Fargo Advisors
(Broadway World)
Kansas City Art Institute Receives
Record Donation of $25 Million
(The Kansas City Star)
Montana:
Missoula Group Seeks to Expand Arts
Education; Seeks Artists
(The Missoulian)
New
Jersey: bergenPAC Awarded Grant from New
Jersey State Council on the Arts (New Jersey Stage)
New
York: Harlem School of Arts Names New
President (Crain’s New York Business)
Ohio:
Sandusky Arts Academy Makes Debut (The Sandusky Register)
Oregon:
Meyer Memorial Trust Announces
$5.6M in Grants (The Dalles Chronicle)
Pennsylvania:
Pittsburgh Arts Education Center to
be Model for Israeli Program
(Tribune Review)
South
Carolina: New Clemson STEAM Network Announced (Clemson World)
Tennessee:
National Honors Given to
Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts (The Chattanoogan)
Texas:
“Arts Fuel Innovation” Conference to
be Held September 11-12 (The Courier of Montgomery County)
Vermont:
Community Engagement Lab Connects
Schools and Artists (Seven Days Vermont)
Washington
DC: A Guide to Volunteering at Local
Arts Organizations (DCist)
WORTH
READING
Has
America Given up on Arts Education?: As we head into a new school year,
communities across America are struggling with funding cutbacks that affect
teachers, school programs, and school facilities. Much like marketing seems to
be the first department to be cut back when a business has to downsize, arts
education departments seem to be the first to lose funding when schools are in
trouble. (Huffington Post Education Blog)
WORTH WATCHING
Is Studying the Arts in School
Important?: Artists,
educators, parents, administrators, politicians, and young people’s stories are
explored in the twelve-minute California short film “Arts is the Root (Why Arts
in Schools Matters)”. Current research on the transformative power of the arts
and their vital role as an educational resource is addressed, as well as how
community members can become empowered to work for increased access to arts
education in local schools. (KQED)