No pictures in this post….   Words, just words… I wrote the following words below back in the Fall of 2018 and they remain true to this day.

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching methods should be designed to develop a confident artist with a keen sense of their own aesthetic values and artistic capabilities.

Mentorship:

The educator must establish a relationship with the student based on their individual backgrounds and plans for the future. The goal of each student is different, and it is an instructor’s responsibility to help prepare the student to achieve these goals. Once a nurturing relationship has been established and trust is no longer an issue, the learning experience can thrive. When assigning design projects the student must be challenged and when assessing the student design work, critiques must be constructive. Incorporate humor/banter into the classroom instruction and critiques to help the young artist feel at ease when discussing their design and artwork. 

Developing the Artist:

Develop students into artists of the theatre rather than theatrical designers. It is important for artists to cultivate their worldview and to experience how artists conceive and create pieces of art, and architecture that have enhanced our world. While it is important for young theatre students to attend theatrical performances, it is even more imperative for young designers to experience great works of art, design and architecture. Encourage students explore libraries, museums, galleries and to travel, in order to experience quality artwork. Artistic masterpieces showcase the fusion of art and design in order to achieve an impact on an intended audience.

The Coursework: 

In a classroom setting it is important for students to have the opportunity to learn and implement their training. Coursework begins with an introduction to the artistic techniques and visual/verbal communication tools required of young designers and artists. Guiding principles for class projects are; tell the story, think conceptually and trust the design process. Once a foundation has been established through coursework, the student has the opportunity to explore the design process through realized production work with the School of Drama and University Theatre productions. Coursework and Curriculum should remain fluid and adaptable to meet the changing needs of our industry and the educational need of the students.

The Production Process

Mentor student designers during the entire production process from the initial design meeting through opening night. As part of my mentoring process, meet weekly with the student, attend design and production meetings, and assist the students as the production goes into rehearsals, scene shop, technical rehearsals and performance. Offer support and guidance as well as challenging them, which helps the student learn how to present themselves and their designs to the other members of the design and

production team.

The Exhibition

In addition to production work, students should exhibit their work in theatre conferences or festivals as an educational opportunity to share their work to respondents and peer students who may never experience the realized production. These exhibitions allow students to focus on creating a graphic display depicting their design process and present the design concept in a clear and concise manner. This prepares them for job interviews and portfolio reviews where they will need to discuss their work with professional theatre artists. It also provides an opportunity to expose student to work created by students from other theatre programs and network with fellow students and professionals in the industry.

The next post will have pictures!!!