The Black Music Teacher: A Reflection on Values-Forward Approaches to Overcoming Systemic Barriers

The capstone project, "Amplifying the Voices of Black Pedagogy," delves passionately into the experiences of Black, licensed music educators in North and South Carolina's public school systems, driven by the researcher's own journey as a Black, Queer woman in the music industry. Its aim is to give voice to Black music educators, understanding the challenges they face, their strategies for overcoming them, and the guiding principles of their pedagogy.

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The Starving Artist: Overview of Documented Knowledge

This Overview of Documented Knowledge explores the history of the notion of “starving artist” as well as issues of elitism and perceptions of serious artistry which intersect with each other. Through a review and analysis of existing knowledge from the cultural sector, the author argues that financial and educational barriers keeping many out of artistic practice contributes to an industry atmosphere that encourages multihyphenate work in order to stay afloat.

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Responsive Review of Practice: Nationwide Perspectives on Virtual Learning, Digital, and Technology Integration in Arts Learning

As education and cultural systems continue to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, those involved in the systems—primarily the decision-makers, policy implementers, educators, and their collaborators—face unprecedented changes, especially in relation to the integration of virtual learning, digital literacy, and technology in arts learning. This reflection articulates the learning gained through the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education’s “Leading and Learning in Virtual Arts Education” project; researchers and documentarians sought to understand how virtual learning and other technology and digital resources have integrated into arts education; how technology and virtual learning in the arts existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, changed as a matter of necessity through the pandemic, and what stayed in place; and which practices might or should continue to develop and be implemented beyond the pandemic. The publication concludes with a number of recommended actions for those leading organizations and systems in the arts education field to most effectively support arts educators and leaders in navigating the digital landscape and ensuring a more inclusive and technologically enriched arts education environment for students.

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Recognizing My Wholeness Through Artmaking

Work in the arts and disability require new models for inquiry. This report by Former Resident of Research Analysis & Documentation Audrey Maxner offers both personal critical reflection and an overview of an inquiry process, heuristic and ethnographic project, and learnings for the field. To start, the report provides a brief summary of the discourse on arts-based heuristic and ethnographic methods. The author then shares the process, followed by the project itself and the creative work produced as a result. To conclude, the paper summarizes critical insights gained through the process and work and offers a reframing of approaches of wellness in the intersectional fields of arts, education, and disability studies.

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Responsive & Community Engaged Forecasting for the Appell Center for the Performing Arts: A Report of Findings

In the summer of 2022, the Appell Center for the Performing Arts (ACPA) worked with Creative Generation to to convene residents throughout York County, Pennsylvania — virtually and in-person — to learn about the ways they engage civically, creatively, and interpersonally with the arts, arts education, and the Appell Center and its theatres. This publication is a final report that combines the findings of each study conducted to support these efforts — one-on-one empathy interviews, group discovery sessions, and an online survey tool — as well as an executive summary.

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Adaptive Impact Plan: Education & Community Engagement at the Appell Center for the Performing Arts

This publication is the Adaptive Impact Plan and Community Understanding that the Appell Center published after the summer of 2022. During this time, ACPA worked with Creative Generation to to convene residents throughout York County, Pennsylvania to learn about the ways they engage civically, creatively, and interpersonally with the arts, arts education, and the Appell Center and its theatres. Using the resulting research and ACPA’s foundational documents, staff + community members worked with Creative Generation to build an Adaptive Impact Plan to aid the organization in fulfilling its aims.

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Report of Recommendations: From Bloomingdale School of Music’s Diversity Task Force

From September 2021 to February 2022, the Bloomingdale School of Music (BSM) engaged the team at Creative Generation to facilitate and document the work of its Diversity Task Force. During this time, the committed group of individuals comprising the Task Force authored a set of recommendations intended to inform the development of the organization’s next strategic plan.

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