Advocacy

The Advocacy Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts advocacy and arts education

EdTA NEWS

Thespian Festival 2015: Every year, thousands of high school thespians bring their love of all things theatre to the Thespian Festival, a celebration of student achievement in the arts. Organized by the Educational Theatre Association and hosted by the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, the 2015 festival took place June 22-27. Catch up on all of the Festival action at http://thespianfestival.tumblr.com/

NATIONAL NEWS

Arts Education Partnership Announces Program Solicitation: The Arts Education Partnership (AEP), a national coalition of more than 100 organizations representing the arts and education fields, in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts announced a Program Solicitation this past week. As the AEP enters into its third decade, the NEA seeks a new Cooperator to build on the significant achievements of the AEP. (National Endowment for the Arts)

America’s Arts Funding by the Numbers – Which States Spend Most?: Government funding for the arts is a tricky business. The budgets for city, state and federal arts agencies in the US are rarely proportional to the size of the publics they serve. Funded through state budgets, grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the occasional private donation, these unglamorous, on-the-ground organizations fund everything from arts education programs to free concerts. (The Art Newspaper)

New Creative Arts Education Learning Platform Launches: A new online learning platform is focused on the arts and creative technologies. Open to learners anywhere in the world, Kadenze was created in partnership with creative arts departments at universities throughout the US. Kadenze features media-rich, interactive tools for collaborating with peers, showcasing coursework, and sharing feedback. (Campus Technology)

STATE NEWS

Got state theatre and other arts education news you want to share? Send it to Anna amarsala@schooltheatre.org

Alabama: Montgomery One of Eight Cities Receiving NEA Impact Grant (Montgomery Advertiser)

Arizona: Governor Ducey Announces $1.8 Billion Education Funding Increase Plan (i School Guide)

California: Los Angeles Unified School District Budget Draft Allots $6M for Arts Education (Southern California Public Radio)

Florida: Broward Performing Arts Foundation Receives $150,000 Challenge Grant (Sun Sentinel)

Georgia: Georgia Teachers Respond to Atlanta Public Schools Arts Cuts (Neighbor Newspaper Atlanta)

Illinois: Chicago’s Free Art School for Underserved Youths to Expand (DNAinfo Chicago)

Kansas: New Education Initiative Aims to Incorporate the Arts in Every Classroom (Hiawatha World)

Kentucky: Kentucky Arts Council Offers Art Curriculum Planning Programs for Teachers, Professionals (Northern Kentucky Tribune)

Michigan: Matrix Theatre Students Create Stage Art around Detroit Experiences (Model D)

Minnesota: Rural Arts and Culture Summit Promotes Engagement, Initiative and Creativity in Small Towns (University of Minnesota Morris News)

New Jersey: Princeton’s McCarter Theatre Awarded $300,000 Toward Education and Engagement (Planet Princeton)

New York: Arts-Focused Nonprofit Raising Funds for College Prep Program (DNA Info)

Ohio: Ohio Legislators Approve Historic $6M Funding Increase for the Arts in Ohio (Ohio Arts Council)

Pennsylvania: Miss Pennsylvania 2015 Contestant’s Platform “The Art of Science: From STEM to STEAM” (TribLIVE)

South Carolina: Charleston Mayoral Candidates Express Strong Support for the Arts (The Post and Courier)

Tennessee: Chattanooga’s TechTown Foundation Appoints Arts Director to Advance STEAM Offerings (The Chattanoogan)

WORTH READING

Why Arts Education Matters in the Age of Tech and Diversity: A recent report commissioned by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics found that students tend to achieve better outcomes with an “arts rich” education. As our poorest schools cut arts education, Hispanics are among those receiving the most “arts poor” education. Silicon Valley’s El Camino Project aims to augment pre-college curricula with culturally relevant musical content designed for Hispanics. (Forbes)

STEAM Rising: The STEAM movement has become a prominent topic in education. Some argue that the general addition of an “arts” component distracts from focus on the hard sciences and takes resources away from STEM subjects. The STEAM movement isn’t about spending 20 percent less time on STEM subjects to make room for art. It’s about sparking students’ imagination and helping students innovate through hands-on STEM projects. (Slate)