Author Archives: Jessie Baxter

#LinkRoundup! — 11/14/14

Link Roundups feature articles and bits of internet goodness that our dramaturgy team digs up. If you find something you want to send our way, drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter!

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Definitely check out this awesome post from author and illustrator MariNaomi:

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The Clyde Fitch Report has this important reminder about the class and economic factors at play in the development of young artists:

It begins in high school. If you are fortunate enough to grow up in a wealthy suburb, you are likely to have the benefit of a drama teacher (or two) at your school and a well-financed and active drama program where you can begin to develop your talents and gain experience in front of an audience. If your parents are wealthy enough, they will notice your theatrical interests and send you off to drama summer camps for further arts training, and perhaps they will pull whatever strings are necessary to get you enrolled in a high school of performing arts, where you will receive more attention, more training and more experience.

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#LinkRoundup! — 11/28/14

Link Roundups feature articles and bits of internet goodness that our dramaturgy team digs up. If you find something you want to send our way, drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter!

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Here are a few links worth checking out in light of the events unfolding in Ferguson this week:

— Back in August, The Atlantic posted a fantastic crowd-sourced “syllabus” about African American and civil rights history that does a great job placing these awful recent events in context.

— Roxanne Gay’s essay Only Words eloquently frames the questions so many of us are asking ourselves about what justice in this country can look like.

How do we talk about race? How do we see one another as human, as having lives that matter, as people deserving of inalienable rights? These conversations are always so tense, so painful. People are defensive. We want to believe we are good. To face the racisms and prejudices we carry forces us to recognize the ways in which we are imperfect. We have to be willing to accept our imperfections and we have to be willing to accept the imperfections of others. Is that possible on the scale required for change?

— For those who consider themselves allies, check out this article about 12 Ways to be a White Ally to Black People and this great video for a few important tips:

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#StaffChat: Supporting Arts Education

Staff Chat posts feature articles and news that the C1 team discusses as part of our weekly all-staff meeting. We’d love to hear your thoughts, too — hit us up on Facebook or Twitter!

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Kristen Engebretsen, arts education program manager for Americans for the Arts, wrote an article about ways to support arts education for ArtsBlog that was recently posted by The Alliance for Student Activities:

Ten Ways to Support Arts Education

C1’s educational programs are a huge part of the company’s mission, so this issue is near and dear to our hearts. We are passionate about our Stage One and Apprentice programs, and always looking for ways to increase the visibility of the work our students are doing. This article is a good reminder to think about how we can ensure the future success of our educational programming and initiatives, and a solid resource for anyone who is passionate about keeping the arts in our schools.

Here are a few suggestions from the article that especially stick out: Continue reading →

#LinkRoundup! — 11/5/14

Link Roundups feature articles and bits of internet goodness that our dramaturgy team digs up. If you find something you want to send our way, drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter!

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We recently featured Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu over on our Displaced Hindu Gods production blog, but it’s worth watching the other three performers profiled in the NYT Off Color video series:

The four-part series delves into the personal and political goals and motivations of artists of color who use humor to directly and acutely address issues of race in the United States. It is enthralling to hear these provocative artists overtly explain the social injustices that inspire them to be not just artists who can make people laugh, but activists who can make people think.

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Rock the Vote this Tuesday!

WBUR’s The Artery ran an article this week detailing the arts policies of gubernatorial candidates Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker. It’s a great read, and definitely worth checking out before you get to the polls on Tuesday — you can read it HERE.

Support for arts and culture in Massachusetts is not in danger. But it is by no means robust, according to Grogan. Boston Foundation studies have shown that Massachusetts lags behind other states in allocating critical resources—such as funds for arts education and capital improvements—to the arts sector. “There’s a need for strong and effective statewide advocacy,” he said, “because the arts are still an easy thing to cut.”

MASSCreative also detailed both candidates’ platforms if you want a bullet point rundown — here’s Coakley and here’s Baker.

Mass. Republican nominee for governor Charlie Baker, left, shakes hands with Democratic nominee Martha Coakley following a candidates forum (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

And while you’re reading up on arts policy, why not check out this Boston.com article for a run down of the ballot questions too!

Happy voting!

#StaffChat: Envisioning Boston’s Cultural Future

Staff Chat posts feature articles and news that the C1 team discusses as part of our weekly all-staff meeting. We’d love to hear your thoughts, too — hit us up here in the comments, or on Facebook and Twitter!

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While C1 was busy opening our Displaced Hindu Gods Trilogy by Aditi Kapil over the past few weeks, some exciting announcements about the state of Boston’s cultural community were released. The staff is reading a few articles this week to catch up on the news – check out the links below:

“MFA study finds Bostonians love cultural events” by Melissa Hanson for the Boston Globe
“New Report: The Changing Face of Culture in Boston” by Ed Siegel for the WBUR Artery
“Boston launches cultural planning process” by Joel Brown for the Boston Globe

“Seven Moon Junction” by Shinique Smith, the Greenway Wall in Dewey Square

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