A new report from the Wallace Foundation surveys research on arts activities that qualify for funding under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). According to Wallace, "The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) considers arts and music to be essential components of “a well-rounded education” and offers funding to help state and local education agencies teach them in their schools. In order to access this funding, however, education agencies must show evidence that the programs and activities they propose can affect student outcomes.

Researchers from the American Institutes for Research scoured through hundreds of reports to find arts education interventions that meet the standards of evidence that ESSA requires. This report explains ESSA standards and cites 88 studies that make a range of arts-education activities eligible for ESSA.

These activities focus on art forms such as visual arts, music, dance and drama. Among them are arts courses, supplies, professional development for teachers, supports for English learners and extended-learning-time programs. All of the studies cited by the report’s authors show improvements in student outcomes, such as reading, writing, math and social and emotional learning."

Learn more and download the report here.

Afterschool Matters is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting professionalism, scholarship, and consciousness in afterschool education. Published by the National Institute on Out-of-School-Time (NIOST) with legacy support from the Robert Bowne Foundation, Afterschool Matters serves practitioners who work with youth in out-of-school time (OST) programs, as well as researchers and policymakers in youth development.
 
The Fall 2019 issue will focus on creative youth development. CYD is a new term for a longstanding theory of practice that integrates creative skill-building, inquiry, and expression with positive youth development principles, fueling young people’s imaginations and building critical learning and life skills. See www.creativeyouthdevelopment.org.

Suggested topics for papers include:

• Descriptions, research, and analyses of OST programs and initiatives that use CYD to support learning
• Cultivation of creativity, social and emotional competencies, or leadership skills among CYD program participants
• Key aspects that define the CYD framework
• The role of teaching artists in CYD programs; innovative practices of teaching artists
• How CYD programs engage in holistic approaches and trauma-informed practice
• Family engagement in CYD programs

Click here for more info on submission.

Community arts organizations regularly look to the communities that they serve to help make decisions about organizational direction. But what does that type of distributed leadership look like within an organization, for the decisions that are made on a daily basis? To explore that question, the "Hewlett Foundation commissioned Open Mind Consulting and Informing Change to develop a set of case studies examining how some nonprofit organizations are incorporating distributed leadership into their organizational structure and practices."

According to the Hewlett Foundation, "The authors of the case studies define distributed leadership along a spectrum, with a sole individual making all decisions—high-stakes or not—at the least distributed end, using information that is exclusive to them (i.e., leadership is singular). This person, in turn, bears complete responsibility for those decisions. At the most distributed end, many people at an organization have a voice in making decisions, including those that are high stakes. Just as these people have access to information that enables them to effectively contribute to these decisions, they also share responsibility for their decisions’ ripple effects."

Learn more and read the full case studies here.

Teaching Artists Asset Map is an interactive, multi-layered digital map built to showcase the depth and breadth of the field of teaching artistry. Launched by National Guild Member the Teaching Artist Guild (TAG), assets are divided into 3 categories: individual teaching artists, organizations that hire or work with teaching artists, and the actual programs that are delivered by these individuals or organizations. The aim is to make the work of arts and culture organizations and individual teaching artists visible, strengthening the delicate or sometimes non-existent network of arts providers and bolstering the field of arts education and teaching artistry. The map also endeavors to determine which populations are being served, enabling a more comprehensive study of equity and access to arts education. Register yourself, your organization, or your program.

The ArtsFund Social Impact of the Arts Study frames a new way of understanding the public value of the arts in King County. With primary focus on youth development & education, health & wellness, and neighborhood vitality, the study probes the potential for arts to influence more equitable outcomes. This study doesn’t stand alone—it is part of a growing movement of arts leaders partnering with civic and community leaders, exploring the impact arts have on society and articulating their value in addressing social issues. This report begins with The State of our Region, which focuses on what we discovered about King County residents’ perspectives on the arts and social impact, describes the range of programs currently available in the region, and highlights a gap in understanding about the potential of the arts in addressing social needs. Read the full report. 

Tuning into Change Manifesto was developed by young people from around the world as a timely, passionate statement about the essential role of the arts in transforming society. Written by 42 young people aged 14-25 from across the UK and Los Angeles, CA who took part in the Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning project "Tuning into Change," the manifesto is a response to the Barbican's 2018 season The Art of Change, which explores how artists respond to, reflect and potentially effect change in the current social and political landscape. It was developed over 6 months of brainstorming ideas around what the arts can offer young people, and the role that young artists hope to play in creating lasting change in our uncertain world. Learn about the Manifesto and download it.  

The Urban Institute, with funding from ArtPlace America, recently released Creative Placemaking and Community Safety: Synthesizing Cross-Cutting Themes, a synthesis of findings from four cases where stakeholders are using creative placemaking to improve community safety. According to Urban Institute:

"Efforts to integrate arts and culture into projects focused on the physical, social, and economic well-being of neighborhoods have increasingly been referred to as creative placemaking. This work, while often incorporating traditional arts-related efforts like murals, music, sculpture, and dance, encompasses creative work more generally, such as promoting entrepreneurism, creatively engaging stakeholders and residents, and using space in novel ways."

Case studies explored in the research include:

• A Pathway to Connect Communities: A Case Study of the Beerline Trail Extension in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Building beyond Policing: A Case Study of Eden Night Live in Alameda County, California
• Empowering Young People to Make Their Place: A Case Study of the Marcus Garvey Youth Clubhouse in Brownsville, Brooklyn
• Art beyond Bars: A Case Study of the People’s Paper Co-op in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  

Read more and access the report here.

Applications are open for the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, NYO2, and NYO Jazz. Musicians come together from across the country to study with world-class artists, perform at Carnegie Hall, and go on tour.

National Youth Orchestra of the United States

Join the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), comprising the country’s best young musicians ages 16–19. In 2019, the group will be led by conductor Sir Antonio Pappano and joined by renowned mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato during a two-week tour to Europe.

Apply Now

NYO2

NYO2 is recruiting the most talented students ages 14–17 from across the United States, with a particular focus on individuals who will bring greater diversity to classical orchestral music. The selected instrumentalists work alongside conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto before concluding their residency with a performance on the famed Carnegie Hall stage.

Apply Now

NYO Jazz

Next summer, gifted young jazz musicians ages 16–19 will come together to study with internationally renowned artists. Celebrated trumpeter Sean Jones returns as NYO Jazz’s bandleader for the ensemble’s tour across Asia.

Apply Now

Americans for the Arts (AFTA) recently released Americans Speak Out About the Arts in 2018, the second in a series of national public opinion surveys conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Americans for the Arts. According to AFTA, it "gauges the public perspective on (1) personal engagement in the arts as audience and creator, (2) support for arts education and government arts funding, (3) opinions on the personal and well-being benefits that come from engaging in the arts, and (4) how those personal benefits extend to the community."

Some notable figures include:

• 81% believe the arts are a "positive experience in the world."
• 73% believe the arts give them "pure pleasure to experience and participate in."
• 68% believe the arts "lift me beyond everyday experiences."

Read more about the survey here.

Black Voice News highlights the legacy of Arthur Mitchell, who broke barriers for African-Americans as a ballet dancer and who would go on to become a driving force in the creation of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, has died. He was 84. Born in Harlem in 1934, Mitchell started dancing with the New York City Ballet in 1955 under famed choreographer George Balanchine, considered the father of American ballet. Among those recognizing his impact following his death was Misty Copeland, the first African-American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.

Learn more here.