Throughout the summer, Mass Cultural Council hosted weekly, national calls for the Creative Youth Development (CYD) field. Major themes that surfaced in those calls included the issues of equity and funding.
Continue reading Report on Equity in CYD Funding
Organized by areas identified in the Create, Connect, and Catalyze Framework
Continue reading Opportunities & Resources – Sept 28
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, 74 Creative Youth Development organizations in Massachusetts were forced to pivot, without preparation or training, to remote programming. These organizations faced a unique set of challenges in working with communities which were disproportionately affected by the virus and with young people who were already experiencing significant and systemic challenges in their lives.
Continue reading What We Learned From CYD Organizations During COVID-19
What would racial equity look like in Massachusetts’ cultural sector?
What can artists, cultural workers, and organizations do to help dismantle systemic racism?
How can Mass Cultural Council support the sector in achieving racial equity?
While systemic racism has been a part of this country for 400 years, recent events have fomented a growing movement for racial equity and justice. Mass Cultural Council is taking this moment in time to embark on a restart and refocus of our work as it relates to racial equity, and we want to hear from you.
Continue reading We’re On This Journey Together: A Racial Equity Listening Series
I believe in the power and mystery of naming things. Language has the capacity to transform our cells, rearrange our learned patterns of behavior and redirect our thinking. I believe in naming what’s right in front of us because that is often what is most invisible. – Eve Ensler
Over the past five years Mass Cultural Council, through its work with the CYD National Partnership, has been invested in clearly defining who we are as a field, what we value, and how we can best articulate the many practices and outcomes associated with Creative Youth Development (CYD). Documenting the beauty and depth of what transpires in CYD programs and understanding the crucial ingredients for success has been an important, yet elusive task.
As long as caring and skilled adult artists have mentored young people in their chosen art form, CYD practices have thrived in communities across the United States. But what makes CYD programs different from other arts education experiences? The “Create, Connect, Catalyze” framework attempts to address this question by identifying three outcome areas of CYD programs. By weaving together perspectives from young people alongside perspectives from academic research on creative learning environments, the framework highlights how these creative learning experiences support young people’s connections to themselves, their peers, and their communities for the purpose of a more equitable and just society.
Continue reading Introducing the CREATE, CONNECT, and CATALYZE Framework
“Taina” (acrylic on canvas 16” x 20”) is a piece by Care Center youth artist Jennieliz Lopez.
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.
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
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
