Sneak Peek: Thalia Goldstein Podcast

Thalia Goldstein: We saw about 20% of the (theater) class time across all of the different school districts is being spent in improvisation where the students have to create material in the moment. They don't have a script, they might have a specific prompt, but nothing sort of is known ahead of time. So, they have to go ahead and create things while they're in that moment and that really is the brainstorming part of the creative process and when you're brainstorming, there's lots of research out there on the creative process that says you don't want to limit yourself, right? You don't want to throw away an idea just because you think it might not be the best idea yet. You want to take all the ideas you can possibly have in the moment and then sort of sift and sort through them after you've gone through that brainstorming process. So, in the improvisation moments in those classrooms, students are encouraged to trust themselves, right? To be playful, to try things out and if something doesn't work, try something new and if something doesn't work, try something new and this really applies to every kind of creative process across different fields, where you have to just keep brainstorming, trying new things, testing them out, and keep going until something really clicks. So, the theater space really invites that sort of trial and error pretty much on every different kind of activity that the students could be presented with.

Unlocking Baltimore

Two women standing and looking up at several large paintings.

2023 Doors Open festival participants at the Amaranthine Museum viewing Homage to the Age of Romance by Les Harris. Photo by Mollye Miller Photography

Established in 2014 by architect Chelsea Thomas in collaboration with the Baltimore Architecture Foundation, Doors Open Baltimore is an annual citywide festival offering free access to some of Baltimore's most iconic and lesser-known buildings. Its mission is to deepen appreciation for the city's architectural heritage across its diverse neighborhoods.
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Enhancing Environmental Consciousness

In between buildings and chain link fences runs a creek surrounded by wild greenery.

A section of the Juan Méndez Creek in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the location for one of the EPA/NEA artist residencies. Photo courtesy of Estuario

EPA, in partnership with the NEA, is launching its first-ever artist-in-residence program, embedding artists within six national estuary or urban water locations with the goal of integrating arts and culture into key EPA program areas. This article looks at the program in Puerto Rico.

Setting the Stage for Community Transformation

Two men and two women are seated together around a table with papers and pens.

Staff at Mixed Blood Theatre planning the Open World Learning Community school residency workshops. Photo by Katy Vernon

Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mixed Blood Theatre's current goal is to create immersive, participatory theater that connects audiences emotionally and provides concrete steps for making a difference.

A Welcoming Hub of Musical Activity for All Arkansans

A woman speaks at a podium, a step-and-repeat banner is behind her which shows the logo for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

Christina Littlejohn speaking at the Topping-Out ceremony for the new Stella Boyle Smith Music Center. Photo by Nelson Chenault

Christina Littlejohn, the CEO of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, talks about the new Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, which will be the new home of the orchestra.

Joyfully Together

People lead a parade at night, holding a large sign that says "Beltline! Light it up!" They, as well as several others, are wearing tall hats that look like illuminated paper lanterns. Behind them is a large illuminated paper lantern of an orange and yellow bird.

The 2017 Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade marches along the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. The parade first began in 2010 and has become an annual staple since its inception, with thousands participating in the family-friendly event annually. Photo by the Sintoses, courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine

A look at the Atlanta BeltLine, a series of pedestrian and bike-friendly trails built on the city’s defunct rail lines, and its arts and culture program, which gives the city’s residents a way to connect in a deeper way with their community and with each other.