Arts Leadership Summer Program - Egg by Isinglass
Channel: Isinglass
Date: 04/12/2014

Support Egg and programs like it at http://www.isinglasstheater.org/donate

In the summer of 2014, Isinglass piloted an arts leadership program for high school students called Egg. The purpose of the program is to empower students to become arts entrepreneurs and advocates in their own schools. We recruited a small pilot class of students in Portland, Oregon to spend six weeks of their summer learning the art and business of theater.

Most American high schools don’t have theater programs: 45% of American high schools had theater programs in 2009, down 17% since 1995. 63% of those schools offered 2 or fewer courses. 48% didn’t have dedicated rooms and equipment. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics)

Students who participate in the arts in school are more likely to succeed in academics, life, and work. Given the right tools, Isinglass believes young adults can be powerful forces for change within their own high schools. The goal of Egg is to give them the tools to create performing arts opportunities for their peers.

Under the mentorship of working artists, Egg students gained hands-on experience producing their own theater. After six weeks, our graduates had built artistic, practical, critical thinking, and leadership skills they can take back to school. As of fall 2014, all the graduates of our pilot program are planning a production with their peers.

Isinglass is currently planning to expand the Egg program for summer 2015 to serve more students with a refined curriculum based on 2014 learnings, but to do that we need to expand our funding. For more information about Egg and how to contribute, visit http://egg.isinglasstheater.org

Isinglass is a future-focused theater arts organization based in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to turn the artists, audiences, and arts organizations of today into those of tomorrow by preparing for our shared artistic, economic, and technological future. Isinglass is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To learn more about Isinglass and support our cause, visit http://www.isinglasstheater.org