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TIOS in the
Springtime
W R I T T EN BY PAUL BREWSTER
M
arch in New York
City: slushy
streets, stuffy
apartments, chilly
subway platforms,
and the yearning for spring. In
the trying winter months, it can
be hard to stay motivated for
arts educators working with
cabin-fevered young people!
Luckily, AATE” to “American
Alliance for Theater & Education
(AATE) and Educational Theatre
Association (EdTA) give us
reason to celebrate, as March is
Theatre in Our Schools Month!
And in New York, we honor that
celebration with a rejuvenating
gathering of colleagues.
The annual New York Theatre in
our Schools (NY TIOS) event has
been a staple in the professional
development landscape for
theatre educators in our region.
The first time I attended I was
immediately struck by the
caring community of artists,
educators, and scholars that
had assembled to exchange
best practices. A full-day
of workshops and a keynote
presentation left me buzzing
with ideas to bring into my
practice as an arts educator
and administrator. The following
year I hoped to return the favor
by sharing some of my tips and
tricks of teaching technical
theater. By presenting a
workshop, I got a look into the
inner workings of the event,
and immediately appreciated
the efforts of the committee
volunteering their time and energy
to provide this service to the
community. Sign me up! By joining
the planning committee, the feeling
of community I previously felt on
just the day of the event was instead
sustained over several months
of collaborating with respected
colleagues to plan and execute NY
TIOS.
Each year the committee surveys
the participating community about
their experience, and the event has
evolved to serve the interests and
needs of the group. This year, our
committee was proud to produce an
event on March 1, 2018 that convened
artists, educators, and scholars for
facilitated conversations and art-
making. With an emphasis on peer-
to-peer exchange, the participants
made meaningful connections with
colleagues that we hope will open
dialogue all the year round. Plus,
thanks to the generosity of Disney
Theatrical Group, The New Victory
Theater, and Roundabout Theatre
Company, participants had the
opportunity to attend a show at a
deeply discounted rate.
Follow the Theatre in our Schools - NY page at
https://www.facebook.com/NYTIOS/ as we
share highlights from our conference at #TIOS18
#TheatreInOurSchools daily facts throughout the
month of March!
PAUL BREWSTER is a New York City based theatre artist,
educator, and administrator driven to create aesthetic and
educational experiences for youth and families. Paul is the
Managing Director for Trusty Sidekick Theater Company,
which creates bold, original productions for young people
and their families (trustysidekick.org). He is a teaching artist
with multiple organizations, an adjunct professor at City
College of New York, and has numerous directing and stage
management credits at regional and off-Broadway theatres.
NY TIOS is an annual reminder of
the strength of our arts education
community and helps us collectively
reach for those hopeful spring
days of student productions and
culminating events with a renewed
sense of purpose and a few new
strategies to impact our students.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Dunn-Ruiz