Episode 61, ACT 2: Caitlyn McCain - Finding Paths for Freedom Dreaming

Teaching Artistry with Courtney J. Boddie

We’re back. Act 2 of our newest episode, “Finding Paths for Freedom Dreaming,” can be whittled down to three main ideas: 1. Aspiring to a more liberated arts and culture world; 2. Feeling our emotions through the work we do as artists and arts educators and not giving in to shutting down when the work feels difficult; 3. Having the ability to recognize the power one has and knowing when the time has come to relinquish that power. The second part of this episode steers us more intentionally into our upcoming episodes, which showcases the New York City Children’s Theater’s (NYCCT) resources titled, “Start the Conversation.” In their chat, Caitlyn takes a deeper dive into the work she does at NYCCT. She talks about how that work has only deepened since the start of the pandemic and has aimed at being responsive to kids and families with a focus on ”having conversations about topics that I wish someone would've talked to me about when I was a kid.” The conversation reaches its most grounded moment when the focus becomes all about trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning. As Caitlyn notes when speaking on the six principles of a trauma-informed approach, every room we enter as artists and arts educators, someone has experienced some sort of trauma. So remembering to lead with this type of practice truly is a healing-centered and human-centered approach, which connects back beautifully to the three main ideas central to this chat. Find out how this conversation ends by downloading and listening today! Stay tuned next month for Episode 62: “In Conversation with: ‘Start the Conversation’” featuring three separate panel discussions with the collaboration teams of the following topics: Our Relationship to Race/Race, Racism and BLM, Exploring Gender and Emergency Drill Support.