Arts Education

The Education Programs Department provides research and information to theatre education professionals, gives visibility to the work of the theatre education sector of the field and strives to provide professional development to the field.

2010 Education Survey Results Are Now Online!

A big thank you to those member theatres that participated in the twelfth annual TCG Education Survey! Your time and efforts have greatly contributed to an increased wealth of field knowledge. Detailed profiles of participating theatres are posted on the TCG website, alongside several other helpful tools:

In addition, please check out our annual Education Centerpiece, that will be published and tabulates the results from the 2010 surveys. Thank you for taking part in this important survey process!

Education Centerpieces

Once a year the TCG Centerpiece, which offers in-depth analyses, case studies and resource tools on specific management issues, focuses on education. This year’s Education Centerpiece reports on programming from 2010, and is titled On Turning 50: Education Survey 2010. It begins with an introduction by Daniel Renner, director of education at Denver Center Theatre Company, who reflects upon education at TCG and in the field at TCG’s 50th anniversary. Renner’s introduction leads into field reflections on education sessions at the 2011 TCG National Conference in Los Angeles. Also included in this Centerpiece are this year’s tabulations from the 2010 Education Survey results and staff notes from the Conference.

Professional Development

Education Teleconferences: Part of TCG's Theatre Professionals Teleconferences and offered year-round, education teleconferences provide education staff at member theatres an opportunity to share information, ideas, problems and solutions with peers throughout the country. Topics have included partnerships and working alliances, building stronger student matinee and touring programs, integrated approaches to education through the arts in public schools, internal and external advocacy, assessment and artist training. Teleconference rounds typically run from May through September, September through January, and January through May. If you have any questions or concerns, please send an email to government and education programs associate Alissa Moore.

TEAM Resources: The project, Building a National TEAM: Theatre Education Assessment Models, developed by a Working Group of education directors, guided by a national assessment consultant, and directed by TCG’s education program staff. After deepening their own learning about assessment, the Working Group collectively designed and executed two phases of professional development training in  consultatio with the project consultatnt and TCG staff, that took the form of a Pre-Conference convening to TCG’s National Conference in 2007 and again in 2010. During Phase One the group delivered more than 15 assessment models for use in the field of professional theatre education. The models are either assessment models or templates that can be adapted to various theatre education programs. The TEAM Working Group focused specifically on four types of models: Observations, Performance Tasks, Portfolios and Surveys. Phase Two was an opportunity for participants to learn how to build valid and reliable conclusions based on their assessment findings, strengthening their ability to interpret the data collected from assessment to create reports for different stakeholders. The aim of this work is not only to improve the quality and skills of education directors, but also to continue to help establish a focus on the assessment process and the creation of an assessment community at the national level. To find out more please see the TEAM portion of TCG's website.

For more information about Education Programs at TCG please contact Laurie Baskin, director of government and education programs.