Community Contexts
Asynchronous Session
Featured Discussing the Theater Pipeline Problem: Barriers to Entry to Marginalized Theater-Makers and Possible Solutions
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Eh Den Perlove
Entry into the commercial theater remains highly exclusionary, with structures in place that bar marginalized theater makers from getting their foot in the door. With the average earned salary of a playwright being $25,000-$35,000 annually, including “safety gigs,” it is hard for artists from marginalized groups to sustain themselves long enough to enter the Regional Theater or Broadway pipeline. The purpose of this paper is to explore different techniques organizations have used to break down the barriers to entry for early-career marginalized artists. For example, I work with SheNYC Arts, a nonprofit supporting the work of marginalized gender theater makers, including cis-women, trans and non-binary people. The goal of SheNYC Arts’ programs is for our artists to gain experience in the theater industry without the normal barriers that exclude marginalized gender people, especially artists of color or artists with disabilities. Showcasing the work of emerging playwrights and composers, we hold a free, open, and blind submission process for full-length plays and musicals. We use a transparent script selection process, with every show submitted being read by a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 script readers, including producers, dramaturgs, literary managers, and more. Then via a communal dialogue with SheNYC Board, Executives, and Staff, top scripts are presented, and a season of 18 shows are selected. Only then are the names of the playwrights and composers shared with the group.
Worm Art Works: Footprints and Other Signs View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Pierre Leichner
Humans are probably the most invasive and damaging animal species to our planet’s ecology currently. One such development is the creation of poor soil fertility by the killing of earth worms indirectly from the toxic agrochemicals gardeners and farmers use. The goal of this ongoing ecological art project is to increase the awareness of the public to the ecological cost of perfect looking vegetables, fruits, gardens, and lawns. The works begin by painting signs or symbols with acrylic paints mixed with commercially available pesticides, fertilizers, and fungicides. Once these are dry, worms from a compost bucket are gathered washed and placed in non-toxic food coloring. They are then put on the canvas and their movements are video recorded. As they move, they leave color traces of their path. Their avoidance of the toxic chemical area is visible. After they move off the canvas, they returned to the compost bin. The accompanying videos are posted on DrLegumes YouTube channel. The results appear as abstract paintings to an uninformed viewer. In community engaged workshops participants of all ages are invited to paint a sign or object that reflects an ecological concern in their community. They then chose the food dye colors for the worms and the painting is videotaped. They keep their painting. This BioArt project addresses a current environmental issue of local and global importance. The process is experimental, unique and bridges science and art. It provides an opportunity to foster dialogue between local gardeners, farmers, and the ecologically minded community.
Crafting a Research Strategy for Sustainability and the Arts in Canada
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Emma Bugg
The science of climate change presents humanity with a staggering and multi-dimensional challenge for survival, yet biophysical solutions are often impeded by social, cultural, and political realities. This brings into focus the reality that climate change is not simply a biophysical challenge, but a cultural crisis. There is increasing participation from the arts in climate action, and a growing recognition of the transformative power the arts can bring to this issue. That said, existing research on this topic is disparate and challenging to locate, presenting a challenge to scholars pursuing further study in the area. To ensure researchers in this space can contribute meaningful and timely work, cohesiveness and communication have been identified as key to moving forward in the above context. This research engages in a critical analysis of Sustainability and the Arts (SATA) research to date, identifying barriers and challenges that prevent research and practice in the field, and collaboratively developing a set of research priorities for future SATA scholarship. The arts can be a key factor in achieving cultural change toward a sustainable future, but to date there has been very little scholarly research regarding how the arts can contribute to the cultural change needed on a societal level. This research will help to provide insights into the role that the arts can play in transitioning our culture and society to a more sustainable future. Further, this represents the first known collaborative study with SATA researchers in Canada and will further understanding of the field.
Community Cultural Development and Human Rights Defenders: “¡Estamos Aquí!” on the US-Mexican Border View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Faval Copedo
This paper describes a creative arts-based research project conducted with human rights defenders working with refugees and asylum seekers on the Mexican side of the US/Mexican border. A Community Cultural Development methodology supported 51 human rights defenders create two public murals in Tijuana and Mexicali. CCD is a collaborative artistic approach for social transformation where artists and communities come together. CCD provides inclusive opportunities for people to creatively express themselves, exchange personal stories, and improve their artistic skills while enhancing cultural understanding. CCD is suggested as a key tool for community empowerment through democratic decision-making, challenging power structures, and increasing community involvement. The mural project aimed to visually express human rights defenders' identities and raise awareness about their work with migrants in the Mexican borderlands. The paper presents research results from interviews with ten key human rights defenders during the CCD process. The research showed how the CCD process encouraged participants to mobilise local authorities and communities to join them in protecting the human rights of refugee and asylum seekers at the border. The research emphasises the importance of using participatory creative practice to support human rights work by creating visual stories that challenge negative discourse about HRDs and their work. The research also shows how art can influence governments. The human rights defenders unanimously expressed positive experiences with the CCD project and mural creation, which enhanced their visibility and allowed them to share their work with others.
Artists at the Museum View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Joshua Graham
Artistic and educational possibilities abound when institutions open their doors to local artists and allow them to work within their confines. The following case study articulates how the often unrecorded and unseen discourse between cultural workers leads to a deeper understanding and application of strategies that encourage effective collaboration. Made possible through my year-long appointment as an artist-in-residence at a contemporary art museum in the Mountain West region of the United States, each example demonstrates how the relational exchange of knowledge between museum practitioners, artists, and the public result in new possibilities for community-engaged art education.
