Embedding Advocacy Into Your Practice

New Ways to Think About Advocating for Teaching Artistry

By: Jeff M. Poulin

For generations, Teaching Artists have been at the center of community life. We, as a field, have known our role in cultivating community. We are educators. We are healers. We are justice seekers.

However, as a field, we have often been left behind in the broader conversations about supporting the arts and cultural or education sectors. As non-traditional employees within cultural or education institutions, we do not have the same support, benefits, or investments as our peers.

In more recent times, the role of teaching artists has become central to communities in places beyond schools or cultural institutions; we work with elders, systems-involved youth, displaced peoples. This work builds bonds, heals communities, and addresses the injustices prevalent in our society. We have become essential workers, yet are still left behind.

This calls for action – we must all be advocates.

Throughout my career, I have worked with supporters of arts education to become advocates for the cause. Whether parents in a PTA, arts teachers in schools, or artists working in communities, we worked to build a movement to support systems change to foster equitable access to arts education for America’s learners. However, for teaching artists, we have more work today due to the complex place we occupy within the arts education ecosystem.

Advocacy as a Professional Responsibility

First, we need to understand our power. Because of our unique set of skills and our work in myriad environments, we speak tons of different languages. We are able to speak the languages of arts and culture, of education, of health, juvenile justice, and more. We can be translators to decision-makers in all environments. Imagine if we unified our language to appeal to these stakeholders.

Second, we need to understand our numbers. Teaching artists are everywhere. We may not all call ourselves teaching artists, but those doing our shared work exist in every community, across every state, nation, and region of the world. Imagine if we banded together under one flag to carry our message forward.

Third, we are expert storytellers. We can use our artistic practice to appeal to the heartstrings of those whom we plan to advocate to. Embedded in our daily work, we collect, translate, and communicate stories. Imagine if we used that power to drive change for our field.

As we reflect on these skills, we must consider them with urgency. I would even argue that we must accept the role of “advocate” as a professional responsibility. Consider with me for a moment, how you could be an advocate for teaching artistry in every aspect of your daily work.

Here are a few tips:

1. Keep a teaching journal and collect stories of transformation in learners brought about
   by your practice
2. Convene small groups of teaching artists doing similar work: exchange ideas and
   collaborate on systems-wide projects
3. Activate peers and collaborators who are not teaching artists in sharing the message
   about the power of teaching artists in your shared work

New Perspectives on Advocacy for Teaching Artists

I know that advocacy can be a scary word – people often think about walking the halls of the U.S. Congress or testifying in front of a school board. Advocacy is much simpler than that; It can be the simple act of sharing the term “teaching artist” with others or posting an article on your social media.

The graphic (shown above) offers a simplified way to think about how you can begin to take action as a teaching artist.

I once sat in a room of arts education leaders and watched a transformation happen within a colleague. As she introduced herself to the group, she offered her name, hometown, place of work, and began to describe her work. Mid-sentence, she stopped, closed her eyes, and rewound. “I need to backup,” she said. “I should have introduced myself as a teaching artist – that is my job.”

This moment has always stuck with me, because she simple act of self-identification, was an act of courage, an act of resilience – and an act of advocacy.

As you begin your own advocacy journey, you must with advocacy for self. How you identify becomes your power. Begin to build it into your vernacular: “Hello, my name is…and I am a teaching artist.”

Once this becomes comfortable, you can begin to think about advocacy for field – the field of teaching artistry. As a member of the field (advocacy for self), you can expand your power by advocating for the collective needs of teaching artists throughout your community, state, nation, or world.

Don’t forget, you are the expert. Many people can talk about the needs of teaching artists, but you have lived it, you know what you need, and you know what the learners you work with need. Be sure to share your expert knowledge as part of your advocacy – that if your power.

Finally, you can begin to think of the sector: whether arts and culture, educator, or arts education. As a member of these sectors, you have the expertise and knowledge to share about the role of teaching artists within those broader sector-wide conversations.

There may not always be a seat for teaching artists at the table, but we are creative – bring a seat, or build a seat, or sit on the table! We mustn’t forget that we are vital components of the sectoral ecosystems and our perspectives should be part of the dialogue.

Advocacy for Justice

We live in increasingly complex times, however, throughout the history of teaching artistry, our elders and ancestors have led movements for justice. Today is no different.

As we advocate for ourselves, our field, and our sectors, we must embed advocacy for justice throughout.

We cannot realize the work, field, or sector we envision without a justice orientation. If our Black, Indigenous, and peers of color are not treated equitably, if our communities on the margins are not supported, and if young people are not centered in the work, the field of teaching artistry cannot be fully realized.

At all levels of our advocacy – for self, field, and sector – we must seek justice. Within this process, we can and must take steps to examine our own privilege and use our power to create pathways to achieving justice.

Especially as we begin to achieve our goals, we must interrogate the impact of the policies (both legal and organizational) on teaching artists who are not involved in the decision-making.
And we must fight – we know we can always do better.

A Call to Action

We, as a field of teaching artists, have experienced incredible trauma. Particularly in the year of 2020 – between the global health pandemic, increased police brutality, and impending recession – we know now more than ever that teaching artists are needed. But we are also hurting.

The time is ripe for our advocacy: for ourselves, our peers, and our communities.

As you think about the frameworks, tips, and advice given throughout this article, know this: You are powerful, you are creative, you are resilient, and we, together, can do this.

I firmly believe in the transformative power of arts and cultural education. I believe that teaching artists are the core of this work. And I believe that when we work together, find our strength, and center young people and our communities, our field will become stronger.

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Jeff M. Poulin is an educator, non-profit administrator, and social entrepreneur whose work is grounded in social justice seeking transformative solutions to society’s greatest challenges. In 2019, he founded Creative Generation, working to inspire, connect, and amplify the work of young creatives and those committed to cultivating their creative capabilities. He currently teaches at several universities and leads global research and visibility initiatives for a number of
worldwide NGOs. A tap dancer by trade, he is a teaching artist in youth dance programs in the U.S. and the UK.