Dispatches from the National Guild for Community Arts Education Conference
Photo by: Zack Bissell
Every year, Living Arts sends a team to the annual conference of the National Guild for Community Arts Education. This event brings together artists, administrators, educators, and changemakers to share their work and models and build collaboratively on a national scale. The conference is an opportunity for all members of our team (staff, Teaching Artists, and students) to learn from peers and leadership in the field. Previously held in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Baltimore, this year’s conference was held in Austin, Texas from October 30-November 2.
This year, we were fortunate to be able to take Diamond Davis, one of our youth leaders, to the conference for the first time and to attend the National Young Artists Summit which took place in conjunction with the conference. Diamond has participated in our programs since 2015 and quickly became a leader in our teen initiatives and classes.
A major highlight for me was the keynote from artist Favianna Rodriguez, who spoke about the power of culture and art to disrupt violent systems that operate in our society, and concrete tools that center teaching artists as instigators and partners. Rodriguez also addressed ways to design classes to reach all students. I also connected with colleagues from around the country and deepened my connection and mentorship with Diamond.
Overall, the conference this year gave me many tools, ideas, and inspiration that will continue to impact our Out-of-School Arts program and Living Arts as a whole for years to come. It was especially timely, as we continue to strategize and implement ways that youth can (and should!) shape the world around them. Diamond and I are now developing a plan to roll out our preparations for Open Arts Fest 2020 that includes more youth collaboration and community partnership.
Attending the NGCAE conference has given me the tools and inspiration to move our programs forward and be more innovative in the youth-led programming and creative youth development spheres. I am deeply excited and already looking ahead for next year’s conference and youth summit in New York City!
Diamond Davis
For the past 5 years, I’ve been involved with Living Arts programming and youth leadership in a variety of ways. This year, Living Arts invited me to represent them at the National Young Artists Summit (NYAS), an offshoot of the National Guild for Community Arts Education. I was really happy and super excited to be invited because it felt like a big opportunity. I didn’t initially know a lot about the conference but I was excited to represent Living Arts and meet all the different people there. As I learned more about the Guild and the NYAS, I couldn’t wait to start chatting with them about different projects and what they’re involved in at their organizations.
Day 1, National Guild for Community Arts Education Conference
I attended a few different presentations and workshops. One was a cutting-edge marketing session, where they talked about nonprofits, especially music in schools. l left with many ideas that will help us prepare for Open Arts Fest, including new ways to connect with the community, promote the event, coordinate with schools, and reach more youth. Another workshop focused on ways to use artistic experiences to set up safe and comfortable spaces in order to address difficult topics such as race, social justice, and equity. I also went to a youth-focused networking session. We talked about what is it like being a young artist and developing careers, parental approval/disapproval, and their guidance. It made me think a lot about my own pathway and if I want to pursue the arts or engineering, and about my mom’s support.
Day 2, the National Young Artists Summit
It was really fun and interesting with lots of different youth performances. We had conversations about gun violence, police brutality, sexual harassment, and there were artistic pieces relating to those topics such as dances, music, and others. Afterwards we did role-plays and discussed the topics. I also attended a dance session where we learned dance and I bonded with the people in the class. We were all really comfortable and were able to come out of our shells. The adult partners and facilitators reminded me of the adults at Living Arts such as Zack and Stephanie, who are able to step back and allow the youth to take the lead in different ways.
The other youth that I met were very inclusive and cared about all the individuals in the group to create safe and comfortable spaces for us to connect with each other. I was so happy to get a chance to connect more deeply with youth from Mosaic Theatre of Detroit, especially since we live in the same city. We’ll be able to continue chatting and collaborating as we build our friendships moving forward. We’re already talking about ways we can do things together soon. I also met DeLashea from Mosaic and have emailed her to start getting to know her better. There were also youth from around the country that are artists in many different mediums. It was really helpful to hear about their programs and events they are developing and leading.
Now that the conference is over, I’m hoping to get together again with everybody from Mosaic. I’m also looking forward to connecting Living Arts more to teens in schools so they can come to our events and get involved. I’m also going to be finding ways to get involved with other youth programs and nonprofits in Detroit such as Mosaic, Bloombodies, and others.
My experiences at the conference helped me realize how important it is to develop comfortable and safe spaces, especially for Open Arts Fest, so that we can use the space to share important messages and topics. That way we can have fun but also do great work together with our peers. I’m also hoping to join the planning committee next year for the National Young Artists Summit now that I’ve attended once and have met the planning team.
