Performing Arts Workshop Demands Innovation in Education
by Tom DeCaigny

You are probably aware that education is front and center on the national agenda. President Obama has committed to making education one of the top three priorities of his administration and education reform advocates across the country have pointed to the failing educational system as one of the contributing factors to the current economic crisis.

Obama even linked education reform and the economic crisis at a recent speech before the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington: "We don't have the luxury of choosing to get our economy moving now and rebuilding it over the long term. The relative decline of American education is untenable for our economy, it's unsustainable for our democracy, it's unacceptable for our children, and we cannot let it continue," he said.

The U.S. education system still hasn’t recovered from the budget-related declines of the 70s and 80s. To make matters worse, the federal No Child Left Behind Act enforces accountability measures for math and reading, but not for the creativity and innovation gained through the arts. In response, schools have diverted funding from the arts and creativity to other subjects. Especially in this challenging financial climate, initiatives such as the No Child Left Behind Act compound decades of neglect in arts education funding.

For years, many schools have relied on parents to do outside fundraising to help pay for programs in art, foreign language and physical education. This strategy has created an obvious disparity among schools. Those schools with a wealthier student body have more access to the arts. Schools with more low-income students may go without ever offering standards-based, sequential instruction in the visual and performing arts.

There are striking inequalities in regards to who has access to the arts, even between schools that may only be a mile away from each other. While some schools have an established record of exceptional courses and after-school programs in the arts, other schools have few offerings or none at all. By targeting the young people others often refer to as “at-risk”, Performing Arts Workshop helps respond to the inequality in our schools.

Performing Arts Workshop’s in-school and out-of-school time programs supplement arts programs that have been gutted from public education. This academic year we will serve over 7,500 young people with a performing arts curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, creative expression and problem-solving. These young people will learn the invaluable skills of reflection and revision and will engage in teamwork activities that build their self-esteem and prepare them for the 21st Century. They will learn not just the skills associated with a standards-based performing arts curriculum—they will learn to examine their lives and make choices within the context of a rapidly changing world.

To educate the whole child and inspire innovation, arts programs must be a “need to have” not a “nice to have”. Arts programs are often viewed as extra-curricular, fun activities that supplement “real” education. And when those in power view them as such, they’re the first things to get cut when budgets run low. The first thing we need to make policymakers recognize is that students need fresh skills for the fresh challenges of the 21st Century. Creativity, collaboration and problem-solving—things young people gain through learning arts—are critical skills for the technological age. The way to get them is by including integrated arts programs in the schools. If we don’t have long-term, sequential arts education in the schools, we simply do not have education in the schools.

We must demand that policymakers and elected officials be held accountable for arts education. If you believe that arts programs are an essential part of a young person’s education—and all research indicates that they are—policymakers should be held accountable for providing instruction in the arts at every grade level and for all students, every day. We need to make sure that a student in one school isn’t getting significantly less arts instruction than the student two miles away. That simply isn’t fair. This is why Performing Arts Workshop is firmly demanding that across the city, region and state, accountability checks are put in place to ensure that ALL young people receive a quality arts education. We have a clear plan to work with school districts and policymakers to make this happen--but we can’t do it without your support. This movement requires all of us—parents, teachers, artists, business leaders, concerned citizens—to stand up and demand an educational system that provides all young people with the skills they need for the 21st Century.

People like you and me have to advocate for innovation and creativity in education by dedicating our time and resources. The day will come when state and federal policymakers adequately fund our schools and when the problem-solving skills learned in an art class are viewed as central to our education as math and reading. When that day comes, Performing Arts Workshop may not be needed. But that’s not where we are today. You and I know that policies take time to change, and in the meantime, a whole generation of students will lack the basic skills they need if we don’t fight now.

You are the most important link – your vote in the May 19th special election, your letter to a legislator, your attendance at a school board meeting, and your charitable contribution to Performing Arts Workshop – is what makes change possible. There are thousands of young people around the Bay Area who aren’t learning the creativity and innovation gained through the arts that they need and deserve. It is only with your support that they will.

Save the Date!
Capoeira Beyond Brazil: a fundraiser for Performing Arts Workshop

Wednesday April 8, 2009
1661 Tennessee Street, Unit 3-O, Workshop Offices
6:30pm- Presentation
7:00pm- Demonstration
Light refreshments will be served
Free! Proceeds from book sales will benefit Performing Arts Workshop

Aniefre Essien will discuss his new book, Capoeira Beyond Brazil - an in-depth look at the power of Capoeira to inspire self confidence and empower community development. Reception with the author will start at 6:30pm followed by a LIVE Capoeira demonstration at 7:00pm. For more information click here.

Rise Above
by Abigail Barnard

You know something wonderful is in the air when students who typically have a challenging time cooperating, begin doing just that.  Through weekly ARISE (Arts Residency Interventions in Special Education) Performing Arts Workshop lessons, I have watched my 3rd-5th grade Special Education students transform. While my students played theater games and practiced lines, I watched in awe. A student who once disliked answering questions aloud due to a fear of sharing in front of others, was now a confident main character actor alongside fellow actors, not to mention is now a verbal participant in class. Another student who once felt he had to compete with his peers to feel successful, was now giving them positive feedback and praise, not only as an audience member and perhaps director in training, but also as a friend.  
      While I knew that performance art was an effective outlet for student expression and creativity, I saw many unexpected benefits in their relationships with one another.  Solid social skills are important for all students, but instrumental for Special Education students who have a tendency to struggle with them. As part of a research study, I collected data on a daily basis using templates I designed. Over the year and a half that my class has been involved with ARISE, I have seen a noticeable increase in random acts of kindness amongst my students as well as in verbal communication with regard to reconciliation, and more willingness to work through problems. While challenges will inevitably surface from time to time, I feel confident that the ARISE workshops have given my students more of the tools they need to cooperate and surmount obstacles.

Abigail Barnard is a special education teacher at E.R. Taylor Elementary School.  ARISE (Arts Residency Interventions in Special Education) is a 4-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Education and conducted in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District that will examine how our work impacts students with special needs. The Workshop’s ARISE program continues its second year of programming and evaluation.

Arts Education for All: Workshop Advocacy Efforts
By Jessica Mele

Stacy’s Story

Stacy is a four year old in San Francisco. She attends pre-k class at two of the school district’s child development centers served by Performing Arts Workshop. But Stacy is not a student of Performing Arts Workshop. Why? 

Because Stacy is a student with special needs. Like many students with special needs in the San Francisco Unified School District, institutional structures such as school scheduling restrict her access to arts learning. Such students miss out on the opportunity to develop critical thinking, creative expression and basic learning skills through the arts. 

Institutions can be unfair.

There are lots of institutional barriers that prevent ALL students in San Francisco from accessing the arts, and Performing Arts Workshop is working to end them. In 2009, the Workshop will partner with the San Francisco Unified School District’s Visual and Performing Arts office and Special Education Department to share our research on the impact of arts learning on special needs students. Together, we will examine ways to ensure that all students in the SFUSD benefit from the arts. 

The education students need and deserve.

In 2008, the Workshop was one of the leading community voices connecting San Francisco’s Arts Education Master Plan to the school district’s Strategic Plan. The result? There is now a philosophical guide to solving inequities in student achievement through the arts, presented by the Arts Education Master Plan committee to the school district.  

With these partners, Performing Arts Workshop will ensure that every child in San Francisco has access to the education they need and deserve – one that is based in creativity and innovation. 

Stay Tuned!  Special Election May 19

Please be alert for a California State Special Election on May 19. Issues on the ballot may have a huge impact on student access to arts education, locally and statewide. Specific measures may include:

• Early Childhood Education – state funding for First Five Commissions.
• School Arts Funding – Prop H funds for arts education in schools.
• Child Safety Net – San Francisco city funding for child and family services – including arts education – through the Children’s Fund.

Performing Arts Build Community
by Mariel de la Paz

It has been an exciting time for the Artists-In-Communities program.  Our efforts have significantly expanded to include more after school sites than ever before.  Through some amazing community and city partnerships and the commitment of our talented teaching artists, the Workshop has had the opportunity to witness the unique impact that arts learning has on youth during out-of-school time.   

Teens, for example, are envisioning change and establishing their sense of community through their Rap Music workshops, an opportunity that is unique to afterschool time.  Youth are educated in the history and current representations of Hip Hop.  Youth are also taught the creative tools to tell their personal stories through the musical forms of freestyle and rap.  With this foundation, youth are able to reflect on their own experiences and dialogue on the important events that concern them most in their communities.  In other workshops, students in Capoeira classes are curious and reflect on their newly discovered ability to communicate and dialogue with their peers without the use of words.  They learn the basic movements and play multiple instruments involved in this Brazilian culture and tradition, which require youth to hone in on their observation and listening skills, all while practicing their respectful interactions with each other in a community circle.  

This is just a small sample of the amazing things that are currently happening during out-of-school time within the Artists-in-Communities program.  While fun, safety, and exposure to different cultures and art forms have definitely been a benefit to the youth participating in our programs, it is the life skills such as concentration, communication, and community building that our young artists have developed through the artistic process that Performing Arts Workshop is most proud of.

Your Donation Makes a Difference
by Brian Wiedenmeier

Please consider making a gift to Performing Arts Workshop 

Perhaps you’ve read stories in the newspaper about schools  faced with tough budget cuts eliminating arts programs. Or maybe you’ve noticed a lack of quality after-school programming in your neighborhood. Performing Arts Workshop exists to fill those gaps, but we can’t do it without your help. 

In these difficult economic times, your tax-deductible donation to Performing Arts Workshop is more important than ever.  As you can see by the contents of this newsletter, we’re doing so many great things to reach young people in our communities. We need your help to continue that work. 

Think about what made you want to go to school when you were 8. Would you want to learn in a school that taught only math and reading and neglected art and music? Why would we allow that for today’s young people? 

The day will come when we adequately fund our schools and youth programs and when acting is as central to our education as algebra. Until that day, people like you and me have to support arts programs with our own donations.  

Your charitable gift to Performing Arts Workshop is what makes life-changing experiences possible. You can make a gift today by clicking here. Thank you for your continued support—together we are having a positive impact in the lives of thousands of Bay Area youth! 

The Workshop Joins Facebook!

It's true, The Workshop now has a Facebook page! If you are currently a member of Facebook, please add us here and check out our photos and videos, write on our wall and share our page with your friends! We are also on Flickr and YouTube where you can see our array of vintage videos (including interviews with our Founder, Gloria Unti) and photos dating back to the beginnings of the Workshop in the early 1960s.