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Children in Kabul using the masks they made

Arts in Education: Mobile Mini Circus for Children in Afghanistan has returned

Since I visited this incredible program in 2013, they were forced to shut down and seek safety when the Taliban again grew powerful and violent in the Autumn of 2022. Now, once again (as of January 2023), they have 27 teams in 11 provinces, serving children of all ages and genders, with a social circus program that also provides food and other instruction. You can learn more about them on their Facebook page (they post most often on Facebook). Support by sharing or donating if you can. — I am walking down the dirt road, my headscarf up over my

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Holly Adams standing in front of a project

Are You the Boss/Employee You Would Want to Have?

For many of us, looking at product quality and net earnings (or losses) is a fundamental start of the yea activity — whether we are theatre teachers having to make do with a smaller budget or independent artists looking to streamline our process without compromising quality. For a change of pace, why not do a “year in review” as a performance assessment on yourself? Most of my colleagues are in charge of their own work (as educators, project leaders, or performers) and don’t have the opportunity to get structured feedback. Here’s a few quick questions you should ask to take

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A group of students planning out their project

How does the collaboration circle work

As I write this, I pause to quickly grab a pencil and jot down one more thing on my “Bring” list, so I don’t forget when I leave for a foreign country at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. I have more anxiety than I typically do — normally I am happiest and most content moving through space (or preparing to), and love my collaborative-creative projects best of all. So what, I asked myself, was I worried about this time? I had done quite a bit of social, cultural, and language preparation, spent time with friends and colleagues from this country to

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Manila folder dragon mask being created

Mask making, part three: Manila Folders

Masks are a wonderful way to discover differences in cultural perspectives, character nuances, and the ideas of subtext and implication. They allow students to dive into the past and see into another’s eyes — literally. For that reason, I highly recommend them as a tool for many teachers in many subjects. But what if you are prohibited from ordering art supplies (and therefore aquaplast)? Well Ta DAA! Enter Manila Folder Masks. Made almost entirely out of Office Supplies!!! Manila Folder Mask: What is it? Believe it or not, Manila Folders have different properties than any other paper product, including card

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Students perform for a workshop

War on Play?

Now that the school year is in full swing and folks are beginning to stress about test scores, the idea of extending the school day, cutting recess, eliminating creative activities and so on comes again to the fore. “Play is under pressure right now, as parents and policymakers try to make preschools more like schools. But pretend play is not only important for kids; it’s a crucial part of what makes all humans so smart, ” Alison Gopnik wrote in “Let the Children Play, It’s Good for Them! A leading researcher in the field of cognitive development says, “When children

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A group of clowns standing together during a performance

The Importance of Theatre Education

“Best times of my high school life.” I just received this comment on my Facebook page after posting a PSA on how theatre transforms students’ lives. This comment does not represent a desire to goof off and party, nor is it an isolated sentiment. Theatre Education programs provide a safe place for students to be themselves, explore relationships, develop compassion, and discover delayed gratification. These are the obvious take-aways. Here’s some less obvious ones. Success in school By any definition of “Youth at Risk,” the percentage of those who graduate from high school is doubled when those students are coming from

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Holly Adams in her studio recording an audiobook

“On the Spectrum” and On the Stage

My wonderful and amazing students from “A Class Act” with The Magic Paintbrush Project performed on April 27th (a play they wrote!) and hit the ball out of the park. They were amazing, they were incredible, they brought the house down. And every single one of them has a disability. I wrote about them last fall, when we were just beginning our process (see “Life is Washable”), but as a result of the show, folks have been asking about children, challenges, and performance, especially children who are on the Asperger-Autism spectrum. I last posted some specific observations and activities about working

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Boy stands in front of white board with a science lesson on it

Fourth Graders and the Magic of Theatre

(Music plays) “The Earth is a magnet. It’s the (beat) third planet from the sun. Flowing electrons and protons/come together to make things run!” The Kid Scientists and Benjamin Franklin sing valiantly through an explanation of their thinking while the storm rages and the flying kite conducts electricity down to their home-made motor. The adults watching in the seats of the professional theatre are grinning, completely enchanted as the first group of fourth-graders performs the play they wrote, with an important plot-driving song, thank you very much. I am once again at the Hangar Theatre for the Project 4 performances,

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Holly riding a camel in the desert

Labor and creativity: Changing spaces changes where you are

This week, I want to remind you of what I have just been reminded of—that a shift in our physical working space or place manifests in a shift or working thinking and an increased capacity for creative problem solving. As an arts-in-ed fanatic, I know (thanks to neuro-research) that using arts modalities to teach academic content uses multiple neuro-pathways, creates emotional engagement, and is based in interrogative process, rather than passive information consumption. The amazing Gary Anaka, a leader in the area of brain research and thinking processes, says that when the body is moving, the brain is engaged, and

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A group of editors around a table working

Theatre Ed: making it happen

I have spent the weekend with 15 driven, crazy, garrulous, impassioned, over-scheduled people who have one thing and one thing only in common: the belief that all children benefit from theatre education. We work from noon on Friday till 10:30 p.m., 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. We work in committees, we work as a large group, we go to drinks at 10:30 and inevitably talk shop (usually social justice issues in art accessibility). We do the heavy duty work in prep for our annual Educators’ Conference (in NYC this year)

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