Centerpiece
Directed to theatre staff and board members, the Centerpiece offers in-depth analyses, case studies and resource tools on specific management issues, as well as reports on research conducted by TCG's Management Programs department. Topics include governance, marketing, development, education and general management issues and are curated by specialists in each area. Select from the topics below to see all Centerpieces in that category.
Management Issues | Marketing | Research | Technology
Education Centerpieces
September 2007: A National Conversation on Assessment
This two-part Centerpiece features an exploration on the theme of assessment and a briefing on TCG's Building a National TEAM: Theatre Education Assessment Models project, written by Robert Southworth, and highlights the results of the 2006 Education Survey.
July 2006: Moving Forward: Education Survey 2005
This two-part Centerpiece introduces the impetus for TCG's new education project and highlights the results of the 2005 Education Survey. Robert A. Southworth, Jr., leader of TCG's Theatre Education Assessment Models (TEAM) Working Group, reviews the latest arts education research and demonstrates that many of the studies identify a need for assessment models, which the TEAM Working Group will endeavor to develop over the next two years.
July 2005: Making the Case for Our Education Programs: Education Survey 2004
The education survey Centerpiece and a searchable database of results were created in an effort to maximize existing field knowledge. Just as education teleconferences and convenings have helped many of you find colleagues dealing with similar issues, dilemmas and needs, this survey becomes an ever more valuable and important document as more and more of you participate.
June 2004: A Season of Changes: Education Survey 2003
Features the results from the 102 theatres that participated in the annual Education Survey. In addition to the survey results, a cross-disciplinary response to the 2003 Crossing Paths conference demonstrates that regardless of discipline, arts educators wrestle with the same assessment and professional development issues.
November 2003: Performing Arts Research Report 2002: Education and its Value in the Community
Survey results from the first five Performing Arts Research Coalition (PARC) pilot communities in Cincinnati, Denver, Pittsburgh, Seattle and the state of Alaska were published earlier this year and measured not only attendance, but also the value placed on the performing arts by both arts attendees and non-attendees. In this Centerpiece, education directors from the five communities weigh in on the results and address the disconnect between high audience value for arts education and the reality of low funding and attendance.
July 2003: Teaching Artists: A Work-in-Progress
Eric Booth asks nineteen colleagues to try to define the attributes that distinguish the teaching artist from other arts-in-education practitioners.
March 2003:
A Changing Landscape
The results of the fourth annual education survey, with 107 participating theatres, gives an overview of education programming, budget information and audience demographics. In addition, five theatres share their perspectives on how profound changes in the country's economic and sociopolitical climate have affected their education programming.
November 2002: Building Bridges
With local communities taking a critical look at their public schools, many theatres are being forced to re-evaluate their educational programming and develop new strategies for making the best use of their often limited resources. This Centerpiece offers two perspectives on this complicated issue. The first piece outlines specific steps arts educators can take to better understand the environment and expectations that surround their programming. The second, following the growing trend among theatre educators to provide training directly to school teachers, provides a detailed approach to teacher training that aims to increase their knowledge of the artistic process by sharing techniques and theatrical exercises that can be applied in the classroom.
August 2002: Experiences with Assessment
Three education directors at TCG member theatres provide overviews of their current forays into the world of assessment. They explain the challenges faced and the tools used in the development of an assessment model.
March 2002: Making Connections
The results of the third annual education survey, with 103 participating theatres, gives an overview of education and outreach programming, budget information and audience demographics. Three education directors participate in an informal discussion of the survey results and the pressing issues facing theatre educators today.
October 2001: Assessment Trends in Theatre Education
A national leader in the field of assessment provides an overview of assessment for theatre education and suggestions of where assessment trends are headed. While the focus is on classroom assessment and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the Arts, the article offers educational professionals in theatres an understanding of assessment trends and resources for crafting their own assessment tools.
July 2001: Federal Funding Opportunities for Arts Education: Some Success Stories
Four diverse arts organizations—the Cleveland Public Theatre, Mill Street Loft, Deaf West Theatre and the Cleveland Museum of Art—share their success stories in obtaining federal funding for arts education programs. The emphasis is on finding and applying for "non-traditional" sources of arts education funding, including the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Justice.
January/February 2001: Taking Stock
Two education directors respond to the findings of the annual education survey, pondering issues such as the proliferation of education programs across the field, budget sizes and staffing. The tabulated results of the survey are included, encompassing budgets, funding, programming, audience development and audience demographics.
September 2000: Education.com
Acknowledging the ubiquity and extensive potential of the Internet, many theatres are still faced with many questions about how best to implement technology in their organizations. Two education directors relate their journeys—and the subsequent successes and concerns—toward the creation of education programming on the Internet.
June 2000: Partnering with Teachers
Teachers have long been some of theatre's strongest advocates and best partners by bringing young people to the theatre. How are organizations using their resources to directly affect teachers? Two organizations discuss their teacher training programs, aimed at forming ongoing partnerships and guiding teachers to a richer and more visceral understanding of theatre.
January 2000: A Look at Where We Are
Five education directors react to the findings of the 1999 Snapshot Survey on Education Programming. They respond to the survey's statistics and speculate on the future of theatre education programs.
September 1999: Questioning Ourselves
With the explosion of new education programs in theatres across the country and the emphasis on quick implementation and results, there is little time left for reflection. To enhance the national conversation about the role of education in theatres, two education directors take the time to reflect on the challenges they face in creating successful education programs. A comprehensive questionnaire is also included, providing an approach for theatres to examine their own goals and programming.