To ensure programs are well-organized and meaningful, artists are expected to provide support well in advance of the program’s start date.

Residency & Workshop Planning

Artists facilitating a workshop or residency must connect with at least one teacher from the participating grade level(s) to define the program’s goals, activities, and desired outcomes. Classroom management styles should also be discussed. Depending on the needs of a program, planning may be accomplished with face-to-face meetings, email correspondence, phone conversations, or a combination of the above. Even if an artist has worked with a school in the past, planning is important because a residency or workshop may be impacted by the participating students, changes in teaching staff, new curriculum standards, and/or modifications to a program.

Educational Materials

At least two weeks before a program begins, the artist must send educational materials (e.g. lesson plans, teacher guides, study guides) to the school’s Cultural Arts Representative, or send a reminder of where materials can be found on the artist’s website. The Cultural Arts Representative is then responsible for distributing educational materials to school faculty prior to the artist’s arrival. These materials should be designed to help teachers extend the program beyond the artist’s visit: they might help teachers prepare students prior to the artist’s visit and/or they might help teachers connect back to the program at later times.

Visual and Literary Preview

Teachers are expected to preview any and all visuals (e.g. videos, images) and literary pieces before they are shown to students. Items should therefore be made available with ample time for preview.