EdTA Advocacy Update
June 19, 2019
The Advocacy Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts advocacy and arts education.
EdTA NEWS
EdTA Theatre Education Advocacy Day Registration deadline extended to July 1
The 2018 mid-term elections have ushered in a fresh era in Washington, D.C., with the election of many new senators and representatives. Here’s your chance to make theatre education part of the change. Join your colleagues July 15-16 for the second EdTA Theatre Education Advocacy Day! Engage in a day of training followed by a day of visits to Congressional offices on Capitol Hill. This opportunity is open to all adult and student members of EdTA and ITS.
Six Thespians Awarded Grants to Attend International Thespian Festival
Students who are members of the International Thespian Society (ITS) from Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Beijing will all be able to attend the International Thespian Festival (ITF) this year thanks to grants established by former leaders of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), which has produced ITF since 1941.
NEWS BY NATION
USA: Shubert Foundation Awards Record $32 Million to Theatres Around the Country (Playbill)
UK: Tadcaster Primary Academy Uses Dance to Improve Writing (York Press)
The National Theatre Launches National Theatre Collection, A New Digital Service (Broadway World)
STATE/PROVINCE NEWS
Got state or province theatre and other arts education news you want to share? Send it to Katie: kferchen@schooltheatre.org
Alaska: Juneau Arts & Humanities Council Announces New Education Director (Juneau Empire)
California: Here’s How to Share Your Ideas with LA Arts Commission (Daily Bulletin)
Hawaii: Schoolwork Comes Alive with the Help of Artists in Schools (Hawai’I Magazine)
Illinois: A True Believer in the Power of Arts Education to Transform Lives (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Local Chicago Students Show Their Love for Theatre (News Advocate)
Kentucky: Metro Budget Cuts Threaten Arts Education in Louisville (Courier Journal)
Maine: ‘The Breakfast Club’ Production Makes the Case for Unified School Theater Program (Fiddlehead Focus)
Massachusetts: As Some Districts Zero In on Test Scores, Boston Celebrates Revitalized Arts Education (Boston Globe)
Michigan: National Council on the Arts to Visit Detroit Next Week (Crain’s Detroit Business)
New Mexico: A Toast to Kids: Wine & Food Fiesta Benefits Arts Education (Albuquerque Journal)
New York: New York City to Invest $500,000 in Grants for Local Female Musicians, Producers (Live for Live Music)
Oklahoma: Art Therapy Strengthens Identity for Tribal Foster Children (Tahlequah Daily)
Pennsylvania: Theatre Community Shares Why Arts Education Matters (Carnegie Mellon University)
Tennessee: Representative Tim Rudd Announces Arts Commission Grants for Rutherford County (WGNS Radio)
Virginia: Area Drama Teacher Receiving a Tony Looks for Expressive Potential in All (Daily Progress)
Wisconsin: Study: Wisconsin’s Creative Industries Have $9.7 Billion Annual Impact (Milwaukee Business Times)
Washington, D.C.: Students in Tech Say Soft Skills and the Arts Set Them Up for Success (EdSurge)
WORTH READING
The Life-Changing Benefits of K-12 Art Education
Earlier this year, a study published by the Brookings Institution provided additional evidence for what many art educators have known for a long time—studying art makes a real difference in student’s lives. (Azusa Pacific University)
Tony Nominees Sound Off on the Importance of Theatre Education
Why is theatre education so important? Watch as the 2019 Tony nominees, including Annette Bening, Santino Fontana, Eva Noblezada, Derrick Baskin, and many more tell us about why it's essential to lives of both artists and the rest of the world! (Broadway World)
Why Scientists Benefit from an Arts Education
A STEM education is highly critical to your children enjoying a lucrative and successful career in the future, but focusing on only STEM skills in school is not enough. Incorporating an arts education is essential in teaching children soft skills that are necessary for their future careers in science-centric fields. (Pasadena Now)