CONFERENCE SCHEDULE | 28
spaces ? How can white adults create and foster healthy , " safe ," and meaningful antiracist spaces with both white and BIPOC teens together ? How do adult directors foster gentle spaces for teens suffering from mental health struggles related to anxiety , depression and the social isolation ignited by the Covid-19 pandemic and social media ? Too often the onus of antiracist work falls on the shoulders of people of color , adding extra emotional and time consuming burdens to their work . In the US , whiteness is often invisible and allows white teens to move through their lives oblivious to their own power and privilege . Through story sharing , activities and action planning , we will engage educators who teach or direct in predominantly white or multiracial spaces to recognize that naming , addressing and actively working to end racism is necessary for both the safety and healing for BIPOC teens as well as the education and transformation of white teens .
Illuminating YOUR Community : Bringing Lessons Back Home Track : High School Presenter : Carla Lahey Location : ACT Contemporary Theatre – Bullitt Cabaret
When attending conferences , it ' s easy to get excited about the ideas shared during workshops and other conference events . But sometimes , it ' s not as easy to create the time and space needed to reflect upon and implement those ideas once we return home to the rapidly approaching school year . In this interactive workshop , participants will experience a designated time to begin reflecting on the people and places they ' ve visited in Seattle , while also turning their attention to their own communities back home . Who are the people who call your town " home ?" What ideas , thoughts , and voices might often go unheard ? How can you use your own classroom space to help students listen and learn from those voices in your own community ? Workshop participants will hear how local community connections have impacted one Nashville theatre education program , spend time researching and reflecting on their own community , and work collaboratively to brainstorm ways they might help theatre students engage in their local community as the new academic year approaches .
Re-envisioning a Local Theatre Praxis : How pre-service teacher education programs might learn alongside communities that are situated within their local environs . Track : College / University Presenters : Amy Jensen , Matt Omasta , Gillian McNally , Joshua Rashon Streeter & Roxanne Schroeder-Arce Location : ACT Contemporary Theatre – Lailie Black Box
This session explores how pre-service theatre teachers can bring light , attention , and energy to the diverse voices and bodies that are situated within their local environs . It also invites teacher preparation programs to support and develop relationships with the diverse artists , practices , and communities of the places in which they live , learn , teach , and practice their art . The session continues the well-established AATE tradition of convening undergraduate and graduate students , teacher educators , practicing teachers , and others interested in pressing issues facing today ' s pre-service teachers as they prepare to advance in the field as professionals . This session , like those before it , explores traditional and innovative approaches ; successes and failures ; and ways theatre education praxis functions within particular educational and community contexts . Recognizing that institutions of higher education in which theatre teacher preparation programs exist continue to amplify the voices and bodies of powerful individuals and hegemonic ideas , this session invites participants to reflect on their own subject positioning and experiences and how this informs their perspectives and actions . It also asks participants to pay attention to and learn from the voices and bodies that are situated within their local environs by getting to know that community , its voices , and its resources . Throughout the session , participants will dialogue about work ( by sharing specific experiences from the field or reflecting on their general perceptions of what this work can or should look like ). In these discussions , participants share stories of their own experiences with such work , including those that have succeeded and failed , helped and harmed , invited understanding and frustration , and bred light and confusion . Participants will reflect on past experiences and collectively strategize about how they can effectively promote positive action toward equitable and inclusive theatre work that honors local voices , bodies , and communities .
Updated 7.26.23