2018 Teen Arts Conference: Faculty & Staff Reflections
I want to add my incredible gratitude to this chain. WHAT AN AMAZING EVENT! I love how I see my students being challenged, moving into their growing edge, opening themselves to new perspectives and challenging themselves to reach out and make connections. It is a beautiful thing to see the mission and of BAX being manifested in this way.
I found myself involved in so many rich and layered conversations throughout the day with my fellow teaching artists AND students from other groups. I really felt palpably how we were held in a space that invited the participants to share, be vulnerable, and speak their truth and grow. And this is the direct result of the incredibly thoughtful and herculean efforts of the BAX staff. So proud to be a part of BAX and this vital magic. ❤️Â
- Helen Tocci, BAX teacherÂ
Starting with the Irondale kickoff event and throughout Saturday the question and power of representation and authorship came up. And while none of the eight groups were aware of each other’s work in advance, nor our theme necessarily, it was staggering and promising how their voices echoed one another. Mirrors and bridges of and to each other’s worlds. A call to protect black lives and for gun control persisted throughout nearly every piece and while it laid out violent ugly truths, it was also full of fight and hope. Perhaps America WILL be ok once they take power.
Setting this intention also meant anchoring ourselves. Despite so often a lack of time to make connections explicitly, I found myself -and I saw other group reps doing/thinking it too - constantly coming back to race, representation, choice, and privilege. We must continue the work of cultivating strong, positive racial identities in ALL our students at BAX, including our white students for whom race and racism is something they see but need support naming.
I missed the orientation but saw what a healthy, uniting tone it set thanks to Casey and Donna. I likewise missed many of the workshops but heard Kelindah’s drag performance workshop was off the chain (and we must bring it back! Dpw guest workshop?!!) and saw the sweaty, beaming bodies leaving Skye’s hip hop and Helen’s Swing Dance workshop.
The panels were a powerful highlight. I attended Tanisha’s and saw BAX and the conference’s promise of exchange crystallized. One CAT performer told Tanisha how meaningful it was to hear a story about and in the voice of a young black woman like herself —- again, power in representation.
- Lucia Sheckner, Education DirectorÂ
In the beauty of community—I sat in the Irondale panel- to find Tracey P. (parent coordinator at BCS) part of the Serve, Protect and Understand project and saw her do a scene (based on Sandra Bland) with police officer Miguel (And they did it twice with role reversal). In the Irondale video of past sessions, there was Ed Kelly-our tech guru and robotics teacher at BNS/BCS.
Also, past BAX & BNS students were bountiful—with Destiny and Anaise part of Cora Dance, Violette in Irondale youth, Tyler was part of Kate Bell’s performance lab (parent is Beth - math/computer teacher at BNS and younger Olivia takes ballet).
I also couldn’t help but notice how having younger artists Nia/Ness could be so powerful...as they are not so far from the ages of the teens!!
It was also a treasure to have Heather & 407moves back to BAX...and see all the connections among the facilitators. Jersey in the house!!
A highlight in the opening was as we walked around meeting people—saying if you knew me you would know I....and I walked up to a young man from Irondale and he said “if I knew him I would know he goes to school in queens—I replied that my mom grew up in queens...Astoria...he then commented his School was in Astoria and then we stared at one another with this connection and an unspoken moment where we had no idea we would find a connection with one another in this offering. We hugged. Yes, a good tone of the day was set!!
- Donna Costello, BAX teacherÂ
