“Taina” (acrylic on canvas 16” x 20”) is a piece by Care Center youth artist Jennieliz Lopez.
All posts by Käthe Swaback
Using a Trauma-Informed Lens

Practical Resources for Working with Young People with Trauma
Inspired by resources from The Attachment Institute of New England (Letter to a Teacher, Letter to an Educator), ARC resources, the ARC Framework, and resources for kids and teens.
Inspiration and Education – Aug 10

- Keep it simple. Discard what’s nonessential. Spark joy. MIT and Harvard researchers recommend strategies for teaching this fall
- Great little film explaining why Zoom is so difficult with music and also giving some hope with JackTrip. Playing Music Together Online Is Not As Simple As It Seems
- 5 Museum Curators Share The Artwork They’ve Missed The Most
- To learn more about how developmental relationships can be used in your work with young people, download the Search Institute’s, Relationships First: Creating Connections That Help Young People Thrive. Continue reading Inspiration and Education – Aug 10
Opportunities & Resources – Aug 3

Reopening Resources can be found on Mass Cultural Council’s site. For Public Events and Performance Venues see the State Reopening Guidelines for sectors that have been categorized under Phase 3 of reopening, including indoor and outdoor events, indoor recreation, museums and cultural facilities, and theaters and performance venues.
Create, Connect, Catalyze Framework – key impact areas essential to creative youth development. Developed by the CYD National Partnership. Continue reading Opportunities & Resources – Aug 3
We Must See Ourselves as Catalysts

Just a year ago, Hannah Parker was part of a group of dedicated teens ages 16-19, from the Creative Youth Development (CYD) organization, Raw Art Works. In my former role there as artistic director, I facilitated an art project, designed for Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, where teens created a body of spinning art for the hallways of the hospital entitled, “Project Revolution.” One of the questions that the young artists replied to was, “What core elements are needed to help you revolve and propel toward your future with greater mental, physical, and emotional health?” Hannah responded with a beautiful art piece and the wish, “When this art spins I want people to understand their worth. We are capable of changing the world and the worlds of other people, we just have to believe in ourselves.” The following captures some of the conversation between Hannah and I, as she shares her wisdom regarding health, outrage, and next steps in creating systems of change.
Continue reading We Must See Ourselves as Catalysts
Opportunities & Resources – June 22

Reopening Resources
- Governor’s plan to reopen Massachusetts. (MASSCreative is collecting any questions you may have about the plan.)
- Camp Operations Guide Summer 2020 and Many Day Camps Are Choosing To Reopen, But Should Your Child Attend?
- Reopening the Cultural Sector in U.S. Cities
- Webinar Recap: Understanding Audiences: Early Results from Culture and Community in Time of Crisis Survey
- COVID-19: Prepare, Mitigate, Recover, an online community platform created by the Theatre Communications Group.
- U.S. Department of Arts and Culture Community Care in the Time of Coronavirus, a diverse resource list for addressing social justice as it pertains to the nation’s reaction to the COVID-19 emergency, including, ART BECAME THE OXYGEN: AN ARTISTIC RESPONSE GUIDE
Opportunities & Resources – June 15

Call to Action: Recently submitted bill H.4755 will set aside and distribute funds to support non-profit arts & cultural organizations in the wake of COVID-19. We encourage organizations and individuals to submit testimony in support of this bill by June 16, 2020 at 5pm. Learn more.
Harvard/Radcliffe webinar on Music in the Moment on June 18 at 4-5pm. (Excellent past webinars, like Naming Racism, are also available online for free.)
In a 17 minute film, Segregated by Design examines the forgotten history of how our federal, state and local governments unconstitutionally segregated every major metropolitan area in America through law and policy.
Continue reading Opportunities & Resources – June 15
Social Justice Resources
The core values of Creative Youth Development – racial equity and social justice, youth voice, and collective action – must be centered now more than ever.
Resources for Talking about Race
- Talking About Race (National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian)
- The Four I’S of Oppression and Paying Attention to White Culture and Privilege: A Missing Link to Advancing Racial Equity (courtesy EdVestors)
- Institutionalized Racism: A Syllabus (JSTOR Daily)
- No Going Back: A COVID-19 Cultural Strategy Activation Guide (The Center for Cultural Power)
- Brené with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an Antiracist
Opportunities & Resources – June 5
New Narratives: Reclaiming Asian Identity Through Story
Call for Artists: Unbound Visual Arts invites Boston-area Asian and Asian American creatives to submit work that explores notions of Asian identity within the U.S. Deadline: June 22, 2020.
Teaching for Equity and Justice: An Online Equity Summit
Facing History and Ourselves hosts the online seminar from July 20-23, 2020. Learn more.
Advocate for Arts Education during COVID-19
MassCreative offers some actions you can take.
Continue reading Opportunities & Resources – June 5
Opportunities & Resources – May 27
Artists 14+
Radical Imagination for Racial Justice
MassArt and the City of Boston announced a $1.2 million award from the Surdna Foundation to support artists of color who live or work in Boston (artists of all ages 14+) who are excited to bring to life their visions of a racially just society. This three-year regranting program titled Radical Imagination for Racial Justice (RIRJ) is in partnership with MassArt and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, who will distribute funds to artists seeking to advance racial justice through 260 collaborative projects in their communities. Application deadline extended to July 8, 2020.
Teaching Artists
Nominations Open for 2020 ATA Awards
The Association of Teaching Artists Awards aim to increase the visibility of teaching artists working within the arts in education and community arts fields, and celebrate the organizations and institutions where they work as well as honor innovation in teaching artistry. Nominations will be accepted for: Innovation in Teaching Artistry Award, Teaching Artist Ally Award, Distinguished Service to the Field Award. Teaching artists of any artistic discipline are eligible for consideration. Nominations will be accepted until June 5, 2020. Submit a nomination.
Continue reading Opportunities & Resources – May 27