call and response- arts administration praxis through an autoethnographic account by anna festa
TRANSCRIPT
1
Call and Response:
Arts Administration Praxis through an Autoethnographic Account
Anna Festa
Graduate Thesis: Arts Administration and Policy
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2012
2
Abstract
This thesis project is comprised of two elements, an administrative project I executed, and my reflection on it. Over the course of 13-months I served as an arts manager, educator, researcher, and organizer in the field of youth spoken word poetry to co-create educational materials to accompany the award-winning film Louder Than a Bomb. Produced were (1) a digital, downloadable, and malleable six-part curriculum; (2) an organizers toolbox that captures the methodology, pedagogy, and philosophy behind the work presented in the film; and (3) the expansion and establishment of Louder Than a Bomb youth poetry festivals in five cities: Ann Arbor, Michigan, Omaha, Nebraska, Boston, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa. In addition, I explored the question: How does praxis emerge in action in the field of arts administration? Through a practice-led research paradigm comprised of action research and autoethnographic methodology, I used myself as the research subject and identified and classified arts administration praxis related to knowledge management that takes shape in the form of communities of practice.
3
Thesis Adviser Adelheid Mers Associate Professor Arts Administration and Policy Readers Arnie Aprill Executive Director Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education Bronwen Lowe, Ph.D Faculty Professor McGill University, Montreal Curriculum Theory, Hip Hop and Cultural Studies, Language and Literacy Studies Sue Weinstein, Ph.D Associate Professor Louisiana State University English Education, Literacy Studies, Ethnographic Methodology, African American History and Culture, Hip-Hop Studies
4
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 1.1 Overview
1.1.2 Louder Than a Bomb Festival 1.1.3 Louder Than a Bomb Film
1.2 Methods 1.3 Research Results 1.4 Thesis Structure
2 Literature Review
2.1 Introduction 2.2 Youth Spoken Word 2.2.1 Youth Spoken Word Television & Films 2.2.2 Youth Spoken Word Books & Scholarship 2.3 Conclusion
3 Methodology 3.1Introduction 3.2Research Paradigm 3.3Research Approach 3.3.1 Autoethnography 3.3.2 Action Research 3.4 Project Timeline
4 Results 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Results
4.2.1 Louder Than a Bomb Curriculum Results 4.2.2 Louder Than a Bomb Toolbox Results
4.3 Conclusion 4.3.1 Knowledge Management
5 Appendices
5.1 Louder Than a Bomb Curriculum & Louder Than a Bomb Toolbox 5.2 Louder Than a Bomb Documentary
6 Bibliography
5
Chapter 1 Introduction
6
1.1 Overview
In reflecting on my 13 month thesis project throughout its duration - producing (1) a digital,
downloadable, and malleable six-part curriculum; (2) an organizers toolbox that captures the
methodology, pedagogy, and philosophy behind the work presented in the film; and (3) the
expansion and establishment of Louder Than a Bomb youth poetry festivals in five cities: Ann
Arbor, Michigan, Omaha, Nebraska, Boston, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., and
Johannesburg, South Africa - I am concerned with the identification and classification of praxis
as I experienced it, within the field of Arts Administration. In order to explore formative
theories and practices, a practice-led research paradigm is utilized to answer the following
question—how does praxis emerge in action during the process of managing an arts related
project? To answer this question, I have used myself as the research subject: employing the
tools of autoethnography I critically reflected on the process of managing a large-scale project
within the field of youth spoken word poetry. What emerged from this research was recognition
of the importance of developing communities of practice (COP) and the function knowledge
management has within this context.
A project was selected based on the following set of conditions. First, I should work
closely with an artist and youth in an urban context, and on a project that had international reach.
This choice is based on professional interest, prior work experience, and previous academic
research related to youth development. Second, the project scope should include a cross-sector
focus—for-profit, non-profit, and government (specifically public high schools)—as to allow for
the negotiation of diverse relationships and management of multiple interests within a complex
system. And finally, the bulk of my work on the project should not require me to attend to arts
7
administration issues that already have accompanying literature—low audience participation,
lack of diversity and inclusiveness, poor leadership, lack of funding, weak standards, and
ineffective board supervision. This goal worked in tandem with an aim to investigate potential
new areas of study within the field. Young Chicago Authors’(YCA) program Louder Than a
Bomb: the Chicago Youth Poetry Festival (LTAB) met the set of conditions outlined.1
I was introduced to the program by Artistic Director of YCA and co-founder of LTAB,
Kevin Coval. He and I had been working on a performance over the summer of 2011, when he
told me about an opportunity to develop educational materials to accompany the documentary
film Louder Than a Bomb. Having previous expertise in curriculum development, combined
with my interest in project-led research, I decided to explore the opportunity. Coval introduced
me to the filmmakers, John Siskel and Greg Jacobs. After a long conversation with them, I was
convinced the scope of the work would meet the conditions set forth and I therefore took it on as
my project.
The remainder of this chapter provides a background of the LTAB festival and
documentary film (1.1.2, 1.1.3), an introduction to the research methodology (1.4), results of the
research (1.5), and an overview of the thesis—including chapter descriptions (1.6).
1.1.2 Louder Than a Bomb Festival
LTAB was established in 2001 after 9/11, at the same time when young people of color in
Chicago where being targeted by an anti-gang loitering law which aimed to prevent them from
assembling in groups of more than two. In the midst of this political and cultural climate,
1 Young Chicago Authors is a non-profit organization in Chicago, Illinois dedicated to “transforming the lives of young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication, and performance education.” It was established in 1991 by Bob Boone (www.youngchicagoauthors.org).
8
Chicago-based poets—Kevin Coval and Anna West—and a group of educators created a space
for youth to congregate and express themselves through the writing and performing of spoken
word poetry. This effort would eventually culminate in a city-wide festival structured after Mark
Smith’s “poetry slam”, an Olympic style competition where random members of an audience
serve as judges to score the performance of original poems on a scale from one to 10. Coval and
West saw Smith’s model as a way to galvanize publics to listen to the stories being told by young
people—and for youth to have a platform from which to tell them.
The work of the festival is collaborative, as partnerships are established with public,
private, and charter schools as well as community centers through the development of team
poetry clubs. These clubs are comprised of high school students, teachers, and coaches, i.e.,
mostly local poets. Initially many of these clubs take an ad hoc approach to convening in order
to prepare individual and group poems to be performed at LTAB. However, overtime young
people, teachers, and coaches who continue to participate and experience the festival understand
that it is not just a competition, but rather a safe space for self-expression; critical consciousness;
growth in personal agency; youth participation in an in/out-of-school context; increase in
literacy; engendered tolerance; and empathy for difference on a year-round basis (A.West & S.
Weinstein, personal communication, March 13, 2012).
Since its establishment, LTAB has exponentially grown in size. In 2011 the festival had
580 participants from 72 schools. In 2012 it had 650 participants from 80 schools throughout
greater Chicago—and the network continues to expand (2011). Given that the youth participants
congregate from all parts of the city, the demographics are racially and economically diverse.
Today LTAB is the largest youth poetry festival of its kind in the world, with audience numbers
reaching into the thousands.
9
While the festival model has not changed over the years, the philosophies,
methodologies, and pedagogies underpinning the work have (Festa, interview, 2011). These
knowledges, although not identified or written down, have become of particular interest to youth,
teachers, activists, poets, school administrator, and parents nationally and internationally, who
want to adopt the festival model in their cities. Exposure to the festival through the documentary
film, Louder Than A Bomb is the main reason for this burgeoning interest.
1.1.3 Louder Than a Bomb Documentary Film
In 2007, two Chicago-based documentary film makers, Jon Siskel and Greg Jacobs, co-founders
of Siskel/Jacobs Productions (SJP), stumbled upon what would become the subject of their
multi-award winning documentary film- Louder Than a Bomb. 2 Jacobs accidently came across
the annual youth poetry slam competition as he drove past the Metro, a legendary Chicago music
venue. What captured his attention was not just the marquee that read, “Louder Than A Bomb
Youth Poetry Slam Finals,” but the line of kids stretched down the block—hundreds of
teenagers, of every shape, size, and color—waiting on a Saturday night to see poetry! ( 2011).
The film took one year to create and two years to edit. By 2010 Louder Than a Bomb was a 90-
minute, highly entertaining and viscerally engaging documentary that captured the stories of four
high school teams preparing for and performing in the competition.3 Central to the storyline are
the lives of four racially diverse urban young people, who explore the ways writing shapes their
world. While the topics the students tackle in the film are deeply personal and become material
for their own poems, what they get out of the process is universal: the defining work of finding
one's voice (2011).
2 In order to avoid confusion, for this thesis I will label the film Louder Than a Bomb, and the Chicago-based youth poetry festival as LTAB. 3 See appendix 5.2 for a copy of the DVD.
10
The first screening of the film started in 2010, in front of an audience of young people,
who gave the movie a standing ovation. When students were asked what they liked about it, one
said, “This is the best real person movie I have ever seen,” and another asked, “How can we do
the same thing in our high school?” (2011). The second screening to a public audience
engendered the same responses. After thirty-seven plus screenings throughout the United States,
London, Dubai, and southern parts of Africa, and a feature on the Oprah Winfrey Network
(OWN) on January 5, 2012, the film has galvanized a small movement. Parents, teens, teachers,
college students, activists, educators, and poets are moved and inspired over and over and over
again by the stories captured in the film. Audiences are not only moved emotionally, they are
moved to action and challenged SJP to produce educational and organizers’ materials to help
them bring youth spoken word poetry to their cities, schools, and even countries.
On March 22, 2012 the documentary was released for sale on DVD through ro*co
international film distributor. In anticipation of this release date, and in light of rapidly growing
audience interest and demands for interactive materials, an art administrator and project manager
was needed to help create supplemental materials to accompany the film, as well as to participate
by co-creating the festival in multiple cities: Ann Arbor, Michigan, Omaha, Nebraska, Boston,
Massachusetts, Washington D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa. This is where my
involvement in LTAB began.
1.2 Methods
In order to not only do manage this project, but also to explore the exigent question of praxis, I
established a methodology that allowed me to do the work of both researcher and manager. My
initial research framework was constructed by using action research and data gathering, sources
11
of autoethnographic inquiry. These methods and sources will be discussed in Chapter 3, the
Methodology section of this thesis. This initial framework was lacking an overarching research
paradigm to coadjute the seemingly isolated methods and sources. The identification of this
need led to the discovery of a burgeoning third research paradigm known as practice-led
research—it is this paradigm that conjoined action research and tools of auto-ethnography. With
a practice-led research framework I could undertake an original investigation in order to gain
new knowledge partly by means of practice and the outcomes of that practice (Barret & Bolt,
2007). The thesis is practice-led because the process of making a creative artifact (the
curriculum and toolkit—discussed in section 1.3) contributes directly to new knowledge.
1.3 Research Results
In addition to creating educational materials to accompany the film, I also managed the
programmatic expansion of the youth poetry festival in five cities. The end results of this work
are:
1. The development of a digital, downloadable, and malleable six-part curriculum that
aligns to Common Core English Language Learning standards, and an organizer's
toolbox that captures the methodology, pedagogy, and philosophy behind the work
presented in the film.4
2. The establishment of the Louder Than a Bomb youth poetry festival in five cities in
the United States and one in Africa: Omaha, Nebraska, Ann Arbor, Michigan,
Boston, Massachusetts, Washington D.C, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
4 Common Core State Standard initiatives are outlined on www.corestandards.org/>.
12
3. The identification of an area of study relevant to the field Arts Administration—
Knowledge Management.
See 3.4 for a project timeline and 5.1 for educational materials.
1.4 Thesis Structure
Chapter 2 (Literature review) is comprised of the research I did around youth spoken word
poetry (YSW). My intention was to determine how this project could uniquely work to elevate
this discourse. In chapter 3 (Methodology) the overall approaches to this project are outlined.
An approach to practice-led research is described. Details of the specific research methods,
including action research and autoethnographic inquiry are also presented in this chapter. In
chapter 4, (Results) I describe the design criteria that guided the development of the educational
materials and consider the implications of practice-led research. This includes an introduction to
knowledge management—specifically ideas behind Etienne Wenger’s “Communities of
Practice”—my suggested next steps for continued involvement in LTAB.
13
Chapter 2
Literature Review
14
2.1 Introduction
This chapter provides a deductive overview of the field youth spoken word (YSW) through an
examination of the films and television shows produced as well as recent scholarly studies and
books. Key questions guiding this literary review are: what salient narratives are presented in
the media and literature; do gaps exist between them; if so, what are the implications on audience
expectation/participation in YSW? To help address these questions, I have included a summary
at the end of the sections (2.2.1; 2.2.2), highlighting themes. This chapter ends with conclusion
of my findings (2.3).
2.2 Youth Spoken Word
Youth Spoken Word (YSW) began developing as a field during the 1990s. Influenced by the
Black Arts Movement and the Beats, and spurred on by hip hop and slam poetry, YSW is now a
national and international movement. The movement started on a grassroots level and was
championed by artists and educators who connected the work to literacy, performing arts
education, activism, and youth development. These connections have resulted in the
establishment of non-profit organizations dedicated to facilitating writing and performance
programs—Urban Word New York City, Youth Speaks San Francisco, and Young Chicago
Authors being known most widely.
The field saw a surge of interest and growth in participation between 2008 – 2011, due to
the exposure brought on through television shows and films. Multi-million dollar hip hop
producer Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam paved the way for a market in YSW (Simmons &
Lathan, 2009). On a commercial level, media tends to focus on making young stars of YSW
performers through local and national slam competitions. During this time of escalated interest
15
in participation among developing audiences, YSW also grew in its scholarship. On a scholastic
level, the literature shifted from a focus on adolescent connections to the process of writing,
performing, and their relationships with teachers, to studies of literacy, identity development, and
cultural grounding (Herndon & Weiss, 2001; Eleveld, 2003; Weinstein, 2010; Rabkin, Reynolds,
Hedberg & Shelby, 2011; Lowe, 2011). Many reasons exist as to why these changes in foci
occurred, however for the purpose of this research I continue by connecting the writing back to
the scope of this project.
2.2.1 Youth Spoken Word Television & Films
In 2007 Poetry Slam, Inc. produced Poetry SLAM SAFE for Students (Poetry Slam, Inc., 2007).
The marketing around this particular film seems to be done in response to the R-rated adult HBO
series Def Poetry Jam. The DVD was made specifically for teachers and youth who are
interested in learning more about slam. The film is set in Austin, Texas and features the work of
10 poets. The content of the performed poems ranges from relationships with family and friends,
to philosophies and contemplations about the world(s) inhabited by the young performs. The
film, like 90% of all of the Poetry Slam, Inc. DVDs, documents a national poetry slam by
recording the poets’ performances.
Similar to Poetry SLAM SAFE for Students, a majority of the media related to YSW are
DVDs that feature select youth performing in slam competitions.5 However, between 2009 and
2011 four feature-length productions—including Louder Than a Bomb— were released: Russell
Simmons Presents Brave New Voices (Simmons & Lathan, 2009); To Be Heard (Legiardi-Laura,
Sultan, Martinez, and Shaffer, 2011); and We Are Poets (Ramseyer-Bache & Lucchesi, 2011).
5 www.poetryslam.com has one of the most extensive archives of national slam competitions.
16
Additionally, the television show, Knicks Poetry Slam (Kornfield, 2011) —which is co-presented
by the National Basketball Association and the non-profit YSW organization Urban Word—
aired on the Madison Square Garden Network; and a one-hour television show based on the hit
series Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices, titled Brave New Voices 2010 was featured
on HBO.
Russell Simmons Presents Brave New Voices is a youth version of the precedent Def
Poetry Jam . This 13-episode DVD series follows several high school poetry teams on their way
to national slam finals in Washington, DC. Different from the DVD produced by Poetry Slam,
Inc. that focuses exclusively on the poet and poems performed in the context of a slam
competition, this series provides a behind the scenes look at how students prepare for the
competition. Themes explored in the series include stage fright, relationship between performers
and their coaches, and commitment through practice. The series captures students hard at work
to gain a spotlight in the HBO series by winning the slam competition.
To Be Heard is a documentary film that focuses on the lives of three teens from the
Bronx (2011). Foundational to the storyline are the student’s relationships with one another and
their personal connection to writing. A first of its kind, this film focuses more on individual
voice and the role of the teaching artist to help encourage and challenge young people—rather
than just exclusively focusing on the slam competition. Themes explored in this film are
friendship, language, pedagogy, and transformation. These ideas conflate in a motto presented in
the film by the students' teachers—“If you don’t learn to write you own life story, someone else
will write if for you.”
17
We Are Poets is a documentary film that captures the story of a group of British teenagers
that define themselves through spoken word. The film follows the teens' journey from England
to the United States, where they perform in front of the White House at Brave New Voices. A
major narrative in the film is that of the politically engaged young person. The multi-ethnic
relationships between team members provide another implicit theme —this serves as a political
statement of inclusion.
In 2011, the television show Knicks Poetry Slam, written and directed by David
Kornfield, aired on the Madison Square Garden Network. This one-hour show features the
winners of the Knicks Poetry Slam finals—a competition where individual teen poets perform to
win an educational scholarship in the form of a cash prize and computer. The competitors are
teens from Urban Word NYC, a youth spoken word non-profit organization based in New York.
The focus of the show is youth self-expression.
The one-hour HBO feature of Brave New Voices 2010 is hosted by hip hop superstar
Common and the award-winning actress Rosario Dawson. The show captures a final
competition between four teams—Denver, Albuquerque, the California Bay Area, and New York
City. Central to this show is a celebration of youth self-expression and performance, combined
with the excitement of the competition. Special focus is given to the hosts of the show and the
celebrity panel of judges who crown the slam winner.
Summary The storylines presented in the media are heavily concentrated on
competition—the narratives explain why students get involved and perform in slams. Only one
film, To Be Heard, depicts the students' writing process and the teachers’ pedagogy—the
narrative here demonstrates the ways young people prepare for the competition.
18
2.2.2 Youth Spoken Word Books & Scholarship
In general, YSW literature tends to be more descriptive as contents are made up of explanations
and critique of programming, slam competitions, teacher/student relationships, and the
connection of the student to their writing. This section of the review moves away from
descriptive materials and focuses on scholarship related to the following themes: individual and
collective identities, practices in teaching literacy, and improved self-confidence and self-
efficacy, all through the poetic practice of YSW. I have chosen to explore the literature by
author, and in chronological order within each author's body of publications, as to understand
changes in research focus over time.
In her article, “Open mics and open minds: Spoken word poetry in African Diaspora
participatory literacy communities,” Maisha Fisher discusses the cultural practices that underlie
the organization and implementation of spoken word events, and examines how these
performance spaces operate as sites for multiple literacies. Using the tools of ethnographic
research, Fisher explores the resurgence of spoken word and poetry venues in the Black
community and their salience as venues for cultural identity development and literacy practice.
Fisher describes two performance poetry settings as those similar to jazz clubs and reading
circles of the Harlem Renaissance. Fisher posits that the spoken word performance spaces can
function as literacy centers in multiple communities (Fisher, 2003; pp. 362-389).
Fisher’s article in 2005, “From the coffee house to the school house: The promise and
potential of spoken word poetry in school contexts,” focuses on literacy through an ethnographic
study of two high school writing communities. Fisher examines the pedagogy used to guide the
writing process and categorizes it as fundamentally Freirian—instruction is strategic, purposeful,
19
and linked to meaning, and teachers work to liberate language and prepare students to be in
control of words. Overall, this work provides a theoretical framework for understanding YSW as
a movement and way of life for student communities—or more specifically, Participatory
Literacy Communities (PLCs) (Fisher 2005).
In 2007, Fisher wrote Writing in rhythm: Spoken word poetry in urban classrooms. Here
she discusses ways literacy learning can be adopted and modified by using the medium of
spoken word poetry (Fisher, 2007). Told through the lens of a Language Arts teacher and a
group of poets known as The Power Writers, Fisher emphasizes three key teaching practices: (1)
peer support via student lead group work; (2) co-creating new vocabulary; and (3) using personal
experiences as literary inspiration.
In her 2006 article “’There’s a better word’: Urban youth rewriting their social worlds
through poetry,” Korina Jocson pulls from New Literacy Studies to explore an urban high school
youth's experiences of a program called Poetry for the People (P4P) (Jocson, 2006). Key to this
program are the lives of each student and the socio-cultural perspectives on literacy as a way to
examine personal and community-based experiences—the result of which is a developed self
confidence in learning, and self and social consciousness in both an in-school and out-of-school
context. Moreover Jocson highlights the possibilities for enhancing literacy skills via
acknowledgement of student interests in and abilities to create high quality poems.
Next Jocson writes, Youth poets: Empowering literacies in and out of schools, using a
socio-cultural and critical framework on areas of literacy and pedagogy. The focus of this book
centers on the experiences and expressions of poetry among urban youth including their
processes and practices related to the art form. Her writing further grounds the production of
20
poetry within academic and critical literacy discourses, and makes a case for the ways it can lead
to transformative possibilities in diverse and multicultural classrooms.
In “Poetry in a new race era” Jocson captures the milieu of the expanding literary arts
movement in the context of the historic election of President Barak Obama (Jocson, 2011). This
essay highlights key themes of YSW: voice, identity, citizenship, and leadership; and focuses on
the ways language is used to expose social realities. These ideas are discussed within the
framework of Brave New Voices Poetry Slam.
Related to Jocson’s 2011 essay, Susan Somers-Willett’s book, The cultural politics of
slam, examines identity representation in the commercial arena of spoken word poetry by taking
a critical look at slam. Somers-Willett begins by discussing the genesis of slam in a Chicago
barroom and follows its development over the course of 20 years—highlighting its international
expansion and adaptation by a younger generation of hip hop enthusiasts. Some of the themes
she explores are the galvanization of audiences through race and identity performance, and how
poets come to celebrate and exploit the politics of difference in American culture.
Summary The materials addressed explore the effects and outcomes of participation
in YSW in the context of performance and educational spaces. The studies focus on identity
development, social/collective consciousness, literacy/multiple literacies, and pedagogy and
teaching practices.
2.3 Conclusion
Exposure to YSW through film and television has cultivated desires to participate in the field
among teachers, students, poets, advocates, educators, and administrators. The content that
induced this interest is rooted in the slam competition—which is the overt narrative in the media.
21
The latent narratives portrayed are the philosophies, methodologies, and pedagogies that
underpin the work of YSW leading up to or those that prepare students for the competition. New
participants understand the slam, but not the “how” and “why” of the work.
In part, my role as art administrator in relation to this project is to make explicit the
practices and theories foundational to the work—and to do so I document and record how LTAB
stakeholders define and practice YSW. Specifically, the contents for the educational materials
outline LTAB pedagogy, methodology, and philosophy. Finally—assuming that it is crucial to
engage in thoughtful discourse as YSW continues to become more popularized via
programming—how might I facilitate these conversations on a more long-term scale? An
answer to this question is proposed in chapter 4 (conclusion).
22
Chapter 3
Methodology
23
3.1 Introduction
The aim of this practice-led research project was to design a film curriculum and organizer's
toolbox to accompany the documentary film Louder than a Bomb. As a reflexive practitioner, I
examined the impact of the process on my arts administration praxis, while creating the materials
(Schön, 1983).
The main goals and objectives are:
1. To develop a film curriculum rooted in LTAB pedagogy.
2. To create an organizer's toolbox that captures and facilitates the philosophies,
methodologies, and pedagogies of LTAB—i.e. the work of the organization beyond
those portrayed in the film.
3. To understand arts administrative praxis related to this project.
The overarching research question is:
• As an arts administrator, what critical frameworks and/or theories can help me steer
cultural production related to this project?
The following questions aided in the development of the research approach discussed in this
chapter:
• How should I go about designing the educational materials?
• How should my experiences as an art administrator undertaking this project be
studied?
At a high level, the structure of the project is as follows:
24
1. Organize and facilitate a series of focus groups in order to identify goals and
objectives on educational, organizational, and artistic levels.
2. Maintain a fieldwork journal that captures my thoughts and experiences of managing
this project—related to art administration praxis.
3. Consider a framework that can aid in the facilitation of critical conversations around
YSW as a field.
The following section includes a detailed explanation of the individual research components and
the overall rationale that led to this framework.
3.2 Research Paradigm
Practice-led research places professional and/or creative practice at the center of academic
inquiry (Scrivener, 2000; Watanabe, 2003; Furlong & Oancea 2005; Barrett & Bolt, 2007; Rust,
Mottram, & Till, 2007). As an approach it proposes that a design, artwork, or creative material
can provide new knowledge(s) in similar ways journal articles do, i.e. an exhibition or other
public result of practice manifests in the form of new insights. As a burgeoning third research
paradigm, research councils have identified data gathering and documentation during practice as
problematic (pp.11 – 13). While numerous commentators have discussed the balance between
practice and text, a gap in methodological implementation related to writing still exists and thus
assertions have been made about taking liberties to construct processes that support writing
(Candy, Johnston, and Costello, 2009). As s result of the precedent critique, I have constructed a
research approach that, in part, is rooted in writing and at the same time offers an avenue for me
to explore my exigent research question related to praxis.
25
3.3 Research Approach
The following section outlines my two-part research approach utilizing autoethnographic
methodology and action research. These methods share a common emphasis on intervening in a
situation in an attempt to build understanding and improve the situations of those involved. For
this project, they are advancements in the YSW field as a result of the LTAB curriculum and
toolkit and an elevated discourse in Arts Administration related to praxis. To discuss my overall
research approach, I begin by providing a short background on the methodologies, and then
introduce the processes I have appropriated for this project. Finally, a project timeline is used to
illustrate the procedures.
3.3.1 Autoethnography
Many developments have occurred in the field of autoethnographic research. Over the past two
decades, researchers have struggled with terminology, e.g., autoethnology, autobiogiology,
autonarration, etc., as well as the position of the researcher. An early article discussing
positionality is Auto-Ethnography: Paradigms, problems, and prospects (Hayano, 1979 pp. 113
– 120). David Hayano aimed to situate the researcher as an insider and native with familiarity
with the group being studied, and modified the term to refer to cultural studies. While it has
taken many years for the specific term ―autoethnography—to take root; the placement of the
research continues to be more flexible. One of the most definitive and frequently cited books is
Auto/Ethnography (Reed-Danahay, 1997). Reed-Danahay defines the term and locates the
research as follows:
[Autoethnography] is a form of self-narrative that places the self within a social
context. It is both a method and a text, as in the case of ethnography.
Autoethnography can be done by either an anthropologist who is doing ‘home or
26
native’ ethnography or by a non-anthropologist/ethnographer. It can also be done
by an autobiographer who places the story of his or her life within a story of the
social context in which it occurs (p. 9).
As a methodology, autoethnography continues to burgeon. More recent scholars moved
away from defining terms and positionality, and have progressed towards addressing data
sources and gathering techniques. The process of autoethnographic writing as Richardson
(2000) puts forth becomes a way of knowing. She writes, "Form and content are inseparable. I
consider writing a method of inquiry, a way of finding out about a topic” (2000, p. 923).
Chang’s perspective on autoethnography is a dialogical approach. She emphasizes a genre of
writing and research that displays multiple layers of consciousness, where the researcher is
connected to the people, places, and experiences—where the “self is consistently connected to
others in the realm of culture” (Chang, 2008, p. 29). Whereas these ideas provide overarching
data source information, collaborative complete member research (CCMR) and analytic
reflexivity are key procedures for data gathering.
Collaborative complete member research (CCMR) is a space that is best represented in
what Robert Merton termed “the ultimate participant in a dual participant-observer role” (1988,
pp. 18). Here the researcher is also a cultural member, and is already—or will become—fluent
in first-order constructs. As a heuristic image the researcher is considered a participant in the
culture being studied through immersion in organized activities—in turn this allows for first-
order constructs to be developed, contested, and sustained. The process and outcomes of CCMR
are the designing of joint research projects, reviewing my own evidence, and creating new
knowledge and theory about practice (Torres, 2010).
27
Analytic reflexivity as Atkinson, Coffey, and Delamont (2003, pp. 62) observe, states
that [Auto]ethnographers-as-authors frame their accounts with personal reflexive views of the
self. Here the researcher makes use of ethnographic data situated within personal experience
and sense making. A view of the self in the context of the research forms part of the
representational processes in which the researcher is engaged —this becomes central to the data
gathered. This engaged dialogue is one of the most appealing features of autoethnographic work.
On the whole, as a research process, an autoethnographic methodological framework
leaves room for researchers to patch together procedures that best fit the locus of study. For the
case of this project, the dialogical approaches by Richardson and Chang, combined with Robert
Mertons ideas of collaborative complete member research (CCMR), and Atkinson, Coffey, and
Delamont’s principles of analytic reflexivity, seem to be best suited for the purposes of this
research. By employing CCMR and analytic reflexivity my aim was to engender analysis via
self interviewing through ongoing journaling throughout the course of this project. In embracing
personal thoughts, feelings, stories, and observations as a way of understanding YSW through
my experiences working as an art administrator, I was able to shed light on my total interaction.
In applying this framework to my study, possibilities materialized in the form of new
knowledge(s) about the function of an arts manager as both a learner and expert. Time and
artistic medium serve as ways to limit my inquiry: the project took place over 13 months and the
work was conducted within the emerging field of youth spoken word poetry. These parameters
provided limitations for cultural investigation.
From autoethnography, the following concepts are employed:
28
• Complete immersion in LTAB related programming including writing workshops,
open mics, and collaboration in professional development and programmatic
expansions.
• Contribution to practice and theory via ongoing self-reflexive writing and self
interviewing.
3.3.2 Action Research
Kurt Lewin, who is credited for coining the phrase “action research”, devised a method which he
portrayed as cyclical steps, each of which is composed of “a circle of ‘planning’, ‘action’ and
‘fact finding’ about the results of a particular action” (Lewin, 1946, p. 205). Originally action
research was used in the social sciences as a way to formulate and apply theories through
practice and then test them on the basis of effectiveness. Since this early origination, action
research has become a structure to improve upon pedagogical practice and stimulate innovative
curricular change in educational and curriculum settings (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988; Kemmis,
1988; Elliott, 1998). As Kemmis states, “the objects of educational action research are informed
committed action” (Kemmis, 1988, pp. 44 – 45).
Unlike the natural sciences, action research is fundamentally participatory in nature, in
that action researchers are actively engaged in understanding and improving practice. According
to Kemmis and McTaggart, the general form of an action research plan is: “We intend to do X
with the view of improving y” (pp.19). An important point is what is done and the reasons for so
doing are likely to change as the research progresses. As the action researcher develops
understanding of the situation and builds experience by attempting to realize planned
improvements, it is natural that goals and methods will be adjusted.
29
From action research, the following principles are taken:
• Cyclical processes of planning, acting, reviewing, and redoing are fundamental.
• Use of an iterative approach of action and reflection—that informs the direction of
the course of the project and allows for adjustments related to goals and methods.
3.4 Project Timeline
In the previous section an overall research approach was described and approaches drawing on
autoethnography and action research were outlined. In this section, the implementation of these
methods is presented in the context of a project timeline. This timeline serves as project
summary and answers the following questions: How should I go about designing the educational
materials; how should my experience as an arts administrator relate to the project being studied?
In the next Chapter (Results), outcomes of the research are presented in the form of design
criteria. Furthermore, the overarching question: As an arts administrator, what critical
framework(s) and/or theories can help me steer cultural production related to this project; will
be discussed in the conclusion.
30
Month Task Date Completed
July
Identify key stakeholders from YCA and LTAB; develop a project team.
July 7th, 2011
Gather suggested spoken word reading materials—books, films, websites, and other media.
July 8th, 2011
Host a project planning meeting with key stakeholders; conduct a needs assessment (S.W.O.T); outline scope of project; and set up quarterly meetings.
July 20th, 2011
Attend film screening of LTAB documentary. July 25th, 2011
Read Anglesey, Zoë., eds. Listen Up!: Spoken Word Poetry; Low, Bronwen; Slam School; Learning through the hip hop classroom; Fisher, M. Open mics and open minds: Spoken word poetry in African diaspora participatory literacy communities; From the coffee house to the school house: The promise and potential of spoken word poetry in school contexts; Writing in rhythm: Spoken word poetry in urban classrooms. Watch Knicks poetry slam
July 31st, 2011
August
Field research; Festa attends YCA Summer Teachers Institute as a participant for an immersive experience of the LTAB pedagogy; includes reflexive writing in journal.
August 5th, 2011
Field research; Festa interviews participants of YCA Summer Teachers Institute- includes students and teachers; includes reflexive writing in journal.
August 12th, 2011
Organize data; Festa catalogues field research data. August 13th, 2011
Develop a curriculum framework based off of the work present and materials discussed during Summer Teachers Institute; review the framework with Coval.
August 13th, 2011
Set up monthly meetings with Coval. August 13th, 2011
31
Complete autoethnographic research part one--includes a narrative description of the project planning meeting and the Summer Teacher Institute with fully described answers to research questions.
August 16th, 2011
Research websites: www.urbanword.org; www.youngchicagoauthors.org; www.youthspeaks.org; develop knowledge about programs and curricular content.
August 24th, 2011
September
Complete first draft of lesson one film curriculum. September 2nd, 2011
Complete first draft of lesson two film curriculum. September 9th, 2011
Complete first draft of lesson three film curriculum. September 16th, 2011
Meet with Coval to critique and review lessons one – three of the film curriculum.
September 21, 2011
Attend Word Play at YCA; gather data related to pedagogy; includes reflexive writing in journal.
September 27th, 2011
Revise and rework lessons one – three based on feedback and critique; send revisions to Coval and SJP for further review.
September 29th, 2011
Read Somers-Willett, Susan B. A.. The Cultural Politics Of Slam Poetry: Race, Identity, And The Performance Of Popular Verse In America; Weiss, Jen.Herndon, Scott, Brave New Voices: The Youth Speaks Guide To Teaching Spoken-word Poetry; Watch Simmons BNV HBO series.
September 30th, 2011
First quarterly stakeholder meeting; review and critique curriculum—lessons one-three.
October 4th, 2011
Final revisions of curriculum lessons one – three based on stakeholder feedback.
October 8th, 2011
Connect with organizers in Michigan, Omaha, D.C., Boston, and Johannesburg; set up dates to Skype.
October 9th, 2011
32
October
Skype meeting with Linda Gabriel in Johannesburg; conduct a needs assessment.
October 12th, 2011
Phone meeting with Matt Mason in Omaha; conduct a needs assessment.
October 12th, 2011
Phone meeting with Fiona Chamness in Michigan; conduct a needs assessment.
October 12th, 2011
Skype meeting with Amanda Torres in Boston; conduct a needs assessment.
October 13th, 2011
Phone meeting with Jonathan Tucker; conduct a needs assessment.
October 13th, 2011
Complete Auto-ethnographic research part two--includes a narrative description of the phone/Skype meetings with fully described answers to research questions.
October 20th, 2011
Read Dressman, Mark. Let's Poem: The Essential Guide To Teaching Poetry In A High-stakes; Mazibuko, Luthando W. Sayin' It Loud!: Understanding Adolescents And Expression Through The Art Of Spoken Word Poetry; Jocson, K.“There’s a better word”: Urban youth rewriting their social worlds through poetry; Youth poets: Empowering literacies in and out of schools; Poetry in a new race era; Watch To be heard.
October 31st, 2011
Complete first draft of lesson four of film curriculum. November 5th, 2011
Complete first draft of lesson five of film curriculum. November 12th, 2011
Complete first draft of lesson six of film curriculum. November 19th, 2011
Meet with Coval to critique and review lessons four – six of the film curriculum.
November 19th, 2011
Revise lessons four – six of film curriculum. November 20th, 2011
Complete thesis proposal; includes outline of November 21st,
33
November
methodology, scope and sequence of project. 2011
Meet with YCA Executive Director, Rebecca Hunter and Coval to outline national professional development delivery.
November 22nd, 2011
Field research: Saturday Morning Writing at YCA; immersive experience in pedagogy.
November 26th, 2011
Research national and state-wide initiatives around literary and English language learning.
November 30th, 2011
Read Weinstein, S. “A unified poet alliance”: The personal and social outcomes of youth spoken word poetry programming; Watch We are poets.
November 30th, 2011
Set up professional development delivery in Ann Arbor, Boston, Omaha, D.C., and Johannesburg.
November 30th, 2011
December
Use national needs assessment to develop a framework for LTAB toolkit.
December 5th, 2011
Identify national educational initiatives best suited for the LTAB curriculum; align the learning objectives.
December 10th, 2011
Work with graphic designer on look and readability of curriculum.
December 10th, 2011
Field test curriculum in an out-of-classroom setting; Chicago Public School
December 15th – 17th, 2011
Complete graphic design of the film curriculum. December 20th, 2011
Field test curriculum in an in-classroom setting; Milwaukee Public School
December 21st – 23th , 2011
Second quarterly stakeholders meeting; assess and critique January 2nd, 2012
34
January
lessons four – six of film curriculum.
Festa and Coval refine curriculum four – six; Festa and Jacobs copy edit the curriculum.
January 2nd and 3rd, 2012
Film curriculum is sent to ro*co for distribution; in anticipation of Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) feature.
January 4th, 2012
LTAB film airs on OWN. January 5th, 2012
Prepare for field research and professional development delivery in Ann Arbor—includes finalizing teaching artist schedule and accommodation needs.
March 8th, 2012
Work with YCA teaching artists to develop a National symposium; goal is to bring together other national stakeholders who are interested in developing a festival in their city; research goal is to gather final data for toolkit development.
January 15th, 2012
First annual LTAB Ann Arbor, Michigan. January 12th – 15th, 2012
Field research: professional development delivery in Ann Arbor, Michigan; auto-ethnographic writing.
January 12th – 15th, 2012
Organize data and write parts three and four of auto-ethnography.
January 16th, 2012
Modify toolkit framework based on first professional development delivery in Ann Arbor.
January 20th, 2012
February
Work with Executive Director, Rebecca Hunter to co-create an organizational rubric to guide toolkit development.
February 3rd, 2012
Write introduction and philosophy section of the toolkit based on field research.
February 10th, 2012
Write pedagogy section of the toolkit based on field research.
February 17th, 2012
Present film curriculum at Crossing the Streets; LTAB February 18th,
35
Chicago. 2012
Coval and Anna West write essays for the Philosophy section of the toolkit.
February 20th, 2012
Peter Kahn writes essay for the pedagogy section of the toolkit.
February 21st 2012
Finalize registration of National participates for the symposium.
February 28th, 2012
March
Write methodology section for toolkit; based on field research.
March 3rd, 2012
Kent Martin writes essay for methodology section of the toolkit.
March 4th, 2012
Prepare for field research and professional development delivery in Omaha and Boston—includes finalizing teaching artist schedule and accommodation needs.
March 8th, 2012
Field research: professional development delivery in Omaha, Nebraska; auto-ethnographic writing.
March 8th – 11th, 2012
Write appendix for the toolkit based on field research. March 15th, 2012
Review toolkit draft with Coval and Hunter March 16th, 2012
Host National symposium at LTAB Chicago; participant review/critique toolkit; Jonathan Tucker—organizer of LTAB D.C. attends symposium—receives professional development training in Chicago.
March 19th – 24th, 2012
Field research: professional development delivery in Boston, Massachusetts; auto-ethnographic writing.
March 22nd – 25th 2012
Organize data collected at National symposium. March 25th, 2012
Modify toolkit based on feedback—add more to appendix. March 30th, 2012
April
Third quarterly stakeholders meeting; review toolkit philosophy and half of the methodology section.
April 2nd, 2012
Create toolkit design template with graphic designer. April 10th, 2012
36
First annual LTAB Boston April 13th – 15th, 2012
First annual LTAB Omaha April 20th – 22nd , 2012
May
Begin coding auto-ethnographic data gathered—identify new knowledge.
May 1st, 2012
Prepare for field research and professional development training in Johannesburg, South Africa.
May 5th – 10th, 2012
Field research and professional development training in Johannesburg, South Africa.
May 17th – 28th, 2012
June
First annual LTAB D.C. June 1st – 3rd, 2012
Read Etienne Wenger’s Communities of Practice; Drucker The Age of Discontinuity; research Knowledge Management.
June 10th, 2012
Conduct post-festival interviews with key organizers from Ann Arbor, Boston, Omaha, D.C., and Johannesburg.
June 10th – 15th, 2012
Modify toolkit based on interviews. June 20th, 2012
Populate toolkit design templates. June 25th, 2012
July
Fourth quarterly stakeholders meeting; final review of toolkit and discussion of next steps.
July 13th, 2012
August
Finish writing thesis August 27th, 2012
37
Chapter 4
Results
38
4.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the outcomes of this practice-led research project. In Chapter 2, a division
between YSW scholarship and how the work is portrayed in various media contexts was
highlighted—the result of which are enthusiastic new participants without knowledge of the
pedagogy, philosophy, and methodologies that underpin the work. In Chapter 3, an approach to
research via autoethnography and action research was described. The project timeline illustrated
my research in action. The following sections contextualize and interpret the project outcomes:
the Louder Than a Bomb curriculum and toolkit. The conclusion summarizes the emergent
praxis and posits next steps for continued work. Then Chapter 5 (Appendix) provides readers
with the produced artifacts (5.1) along with a DVD of the documentary film (5.2).
4.2 Results
As demonstrated in the project timeline, the methodology was based on the principles of action
research in creating the project and on autoethnography in reflecting on arts administration
praxis. My involvement in the project was as an active researcher and YSW stakeholder. I
facilitated the planning, implementation, and critique of the educational materials as they were
being developed and revised. I also played an active role in managing the expansion of the
LTAB festival. As a result of active reflection, adjustments were made along the way to the
materials produced as well as my approaches to management. Modifications to the curriculum
and toolbox are discussed through design criteria outlined in 4.2.1 and 4.2.2. Changes to
management methods are summarized in the conclusion (4.3).
4.2.1 Louder Than a Bomb Curriculum
39
Initially SJP, artistic director Coval, and ro*co—the film distributors—developed a design
framework for the film curriculum. This was, in part, related to former curricula produced for
other movies distributed by ro*co. For example, SJP used the Pray the Devil Back to Hell
curriculum designed by teachers at Teachers College, Columbia University to get an idea about
general length and structure.
When I took on this project, it was vital to not only root the design criteria in SJP and
ro*co’s interests, but also those of YCA, YSW, and literacy education at large. To do so I
worked in close proximity with YCA’s executive director, Rebecca Hunter, and developed
design criteria around the mission and objectives of the organization. I also researched national
education initiatives around literacy and YSW to come up with an educational framework
relevant to specific content standards. The latter is based on an intention to gear the resources to
classroom teachers and not just YSW artists—this naturally changed the scope and sequence of
the materials. The table below explicitly outlines objectives and criteria used for overall design.
Curricular Objective Criteria
Student-Centered In order to activate and engage young people, educational activities are based on their life and lived experiences.
Critical and Public Pedagogy
Teachers/students engage their world(s) through analytic co-questioning and sense making—including assessment of media.
Interventionist Meet contemporary national educational initiatives and thus expands usability.
Malleable Works in multiple settings with varying time allotments, learning needs, and teacher/student interests.
Digital Designed in a contemporary and relevant lexicon; is eco-friendly, easy to share, and cost effective.
Downloadable Designed in an open format and allow owners to make on-going updates and edits.
40
4.2.2 Louder Than a Bomb Toolbox
The purpose of the toolbox is to provide resources for building an LTAB youth poetry festival in
ones’ own city. In order to understand the practical elements needed for an organizer to produce
an LTAB festival, I worked closely with Coval and select teaching artists to train key
stakeholders in the context of expanding the program in their cities: Ann Arbor, Michigan,
Boston, Massachusetts, Omaha, Nebraska, Washington D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Here, my roles as an arts manager and administrator related to the development of the toolbox
were unique and ever-changing. Whereas the curriculum was created in close collaboration with
Coval and SJP before distribution, the materials for the toolbox were uniquely developed during
the process of delivery. For example, Coval and teaching artists ran the first annual LTAB Ann
Arbor festival while, at the same time, training local poets to do the work in the context of this
initial event. My roles shifted from learner/observer to expert/ initiator. Below is a short
summary that illustrates changes in modes of managing. To keep things concise, only brief
accounts of Ann Arbor, Omaha, and Johannesburg are discussed. Following this description, the
design criteria are presented.
Different approaches to training were tested and utlized at each site based on a series of
needs assessments I conducted. In Ann Arbor, no pedagogical instruction or explicating about
the LTAB philosophy was necessary due to the fact that stakeholders had already been long-term
partners of LTAB Chicago and thus had tacit knowledge of the work. Therefore Coval and the
teaching artists worked collaboratively with YSW organizer Jeff Kass to create LTAB, while I
observed and documented their processes and procedures. The scope of their work included an
immersive training in hosting, judging, djing, and performing throughout the festival. There I
41
learned about each component and what makes the festival distinct from other slams. In Omaha,
instead of conducting training during the festival, Coval, the teaching artists, and I initiated
professional development three months before the event. There were two reasons for this
decision. First, stakeholders did not have prior experiential knowledge about LTAB—
pedagogically, philosophically, and methodologically. Second, they already had years of
experience of running slam events. Therefore it became more important to spend time on
foundational work—teaching, discussions around practices, beliefs, and overall goals that make
LTAB distinct—and less on the mechanics of the festival. The professional development
included in-school assemblies, three workshops, an open mic, and round-table discussion. It was
in Omaha that my role shifted from learner to expert. At that point, I not only had a clear
understand about the philosophy, pedagogy, and methodology, but I also knew what practical
compemonents were needed to run the event—this directly influenced the training in
Johannesburg.
By the time we got to implementation in Johannesburg, I had developed the LTAB
toolbox and it was not vital for Coval to be present. This meant that organizational knowledge
was recorded and able to be transferred to others through different means. As such, I and
another teaching artist—Nate Marshall—conducted the professional development training and
field tested the educational materials. Below is the set of design criteria used to guide the
development of the toolbox.
Toolbox Objective Criteria
Philosophical Emphasize growth in the field of YSW and challenge critical engagement in dialogue among organizers.
Pedagogical Founded in critical and public pedagogy; highlight the importance of
42
school partnerships.
Methodological Rooted in the practices of community organizing; encourage inclusive geographic connections.
City-centered Allow the festival to reflect the cultural fabric and the history(ies) of the city it is located in.
Reflective Encourage critical reflection about philosophy, pedagogy, and methodology—motivate deeper engagement in the materials.
Digital Designed in a contemporary and relevant lexicon; is eco-friendly, easy to share, and cost effective.
Expansive Acknowledge the necessity of ongoing multi-various contributions.
Downloadable Designed in an open format and allow owners to make on-going updates and edits.
Interactive Designed to ensure collaborative processes with LTAB Chicago.
4.3 Conclusion
The goal of the reflexive research portion was to identify and classify praxis in the field of arts
administration. Praxis related to this project was conducted through a practice-led research
paradigm and explored through the qualitative tools of action research and autoethnography.
CCMR in the context of YCA’s programming and professional development delivery served as
the basis for analytic self-reflection and analysis throughout the entire course of the project.
As a newcomer to YSW, the process of writing became crucial for exploring
methodological, philosophical, and pedagogical vistas of this sub-culture. Writing aided in the
exploration of youth spoken word poetry and provided a locus for reflection—the results of
which were sets of design criteria and identification of praxis rooted in knowledge management
(see Project Timeline 3.4 June 10th, 2012). The following paragraph defines knowledge
management, explicates its significance specific to this project, and provides a summary of next
steps through a description of its purposes.
43
4.3.1 Knowledge Management
Knowledge Management (KM) refers to a multi-disciplinary approach to achieving
organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge. More explicitly is refers to,
[S]trategies and processes designed to identify, capture, structure, value,
leverage, and share an organization's intellectual assets to enhance its
performance and competitiveness (Business Dictionary, 2012).
Two salient practices are fundamental to KM: capturing and documentating tacit knowledge;
and developing ways to distribute that knowledge intra and/or inter organizationally (Drucker,
Garvin, & Quinn, 1998). While the former was outlined in chapter 3, the latter is discussed
below.
I identified KM as an emergent practice within the context of a guiding question: As an
arts administrator outside of a traditional organization, what critical frameworks and/or
theories can help me steer cultural production related to this project? This question arose
during the process of expanding the festival in other cities. While many other stakeholders
across the US and abroad were also interested in hosting LTAB, due to organizational capacity,
and in consideration of how we might strategically distribute the toolkit, a set of guiding
procedures was created to help us critically select new partners. The criteria are:
• New partners need to have a preexisting, thriving poetry scene.
• New partners need to have one to two committed lead organizers.
• New partners must have resources to support professional development training.
• New partners must not have a preexisting YSW festival.
44
• New partners need to have an umbrella organization—local university or non-profit—that
can serve as a fiscal sponsor and/or house the festival long-term.
While this set of criteria served to turn away many potential new partners, it has ensured that the
right infrastructure was in place to sustain the festival. It should be noted that not one city that
took on the festival is failing to host its second annual program in 2012 – 2013.
The purpose of KM in relation to this project is tied to knowledge sharing and
collaboration among new networks of YSW stakeholders. How might critical conversations
between stakeholders in Omaha, Ann Arbor, Boston, Johannesburg, and D.C. be facilitated long
term? According to KM practitioners, knowledge must be shared and serve as the foundation
for collaboration within the context of an overarching purpose (1998). In moving forward with
next steps it will be important forYCA and YSW stakeholders to develop communities of
practice (COP).
COPs consist of a group of people sharing a similar craft and/or profession, who
congregate to share information and experiences among members of that group in order to learn
from each other, and have an opportunity to develop personally and professionally (Wenger,
1998; Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder 2002). My role as an arts administrator here is to faciliate
connections and discussions around the purposes of narrowing the gap between YSW
scholarship and practice.
45
Chapter 5
Appendix
46
5.1 Louder Than a Bomb Curriculum and Toolbox
Disc Here
47
5.2 Louder Than a Bomb Documentary Film
Disc Here
48
Bibliography
AHRC Research Review: Practice-Led Research in Art, Design and Architecture (2007) Rust,
Prof Chris, Mottram, Prof Judith, Till, Prof Jeremy, with support from Kirsty Smart,
Peter Walters Mark Elshaw
Barrett, Estelle, and Barbara Bolt (2007). Practice as Research: Approaches to Creative Arts
Enquiry. London: I. B. Tauris. Print.
Creativity and Cognition Seminar (2009). Dir. Linda Candy. Perf. Andrew Johnston and Brigid
Costello. CCS Studios. N.p.; Web. May 2012.
<http://www.creativityandcognition.com/?s=video>.
"Creativity & Cognition Studio” (2012) http://www.creativityandcognition.com/research/
N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May.
Drucker, Peter F., David A. Garvin, and James B. Quinn. Harvard Business Review on
KnowledgeManagement. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School, 1998. Print
Eleveld, Mark. The Spoken Word Revolution. Illinois: Sourcebooks, 2003
Festa, A. (2011). Individual interviews with Greg Jacobs of Siskel/Jacobs Productions and
Kevin Coval artistic director of Young Chicago Authors.
Fisher, M. (2003). Open mics and open minds: Spoken word poetry in African diaspora
participatory literacy communities. Harvard Educational Review, 73(3), 362–389.
Fisher, M. (2005). From the coffee house to the school house: The promise and potential of
spoken word poetry in school contexts. English Education, 37(2), 115–131.
Fisher, M. (2007). Writing in rhythm: Spoken word poetry in urban classrooms. New York:
Teachers College Press.
Furlong, J. and Oancea, A. (2005) Assessing Quality in Applied and Practice-based
Educational Research, A Framework for Discussion. Oxford University
49
Department of Educational Studies. (http://www.bera.ac.uk/pdfs/Qualitycriteria.pdf)
Herndon, S. &Weiss, J. (2001), Brave New Voices: The Youth Speaks Guide To Teaching
Spoken-word Poetry. Portsmouth, NH : Heinemann, Print.
Hayano, D. M. (1979). Auto-Ethnography: Paradigms, problems, and prospects. Human
Organization, 38, 113-120.
Jacobs, G., & Siskel, J. (2011). Louder than a bomb [Motion picture]. Chicago: Siskel/Jacobs
Productions.
Jocson, K. (2006). “There’s a better word”: Urban youth rewriting their social worlds through
poetry. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 49(8), 700–707.
Jocson, K. (2008). Youth poets: Empowering literacies in and out of schools. New York: Peter
Lang.
Jocson, K. (2011). Poetry in a new race era. Daedelus, 140(1), 154–162.
Knicks poetry slam [Television series]. (2009). New York: MSG Holdings.
"Knowledge Management." Businessdictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2012.
<http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/knowledge-‐management.html>.
Legiardi-Laura, R., Sultan, A., Martinez, E., & Shaffer, D. (2011). To be heard [Motion picture].
Seattle: Dialogue Pictures/ITVS.
Low, Bronwen E. (2011). Slam School: Learning through Conflict in the Hip-‐hop and Spoken
Word Classroom. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP. Print.
Ramseyer-Bache, A., & Lucchesi, D. (2011). We are poets [Motion picture]. Leeds, UK: [no
production company].
Reed-Danahay, D. (1997). Auto/Ethnography: Rewriting the self and the social. Oxford, UK:
50
Berg.
Schön, Donald A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New
York: Basic. Print.
Scrivener S (2000) Reflection in and on Action and Practice in CreativeProduction Doctorial
Projects in Art and Design The Foundation of PracticeBased Research: Introduction.
Working Papers in Art and Design, Vol. 1, University of Hertfordshire
(http://www.herts.ac.uk/artdes1/research/papers/wpades/vol1/scrivener2.html)
Simmons, R., & Lathan, S. (2009). Russell Simmons presents: Brave new voices [Television
series]. New York: Home Box Office.
Smith, Hazel, and R. T. Dean (2009) Practice-led Research, Research-led Practice in the Creative
Arts. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, Print.
Somers-Willett, S. (2009). The cultural politics of slam. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan
Press.
Wadsworth, Yolanda (2011). Do It Yourself Social Research: The Bestselling Practical Guide to
Doing Social Research Projects. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast. Print.
Watanabe, T. (2003) Practice-Based PhD in Art and Design: Britain and Japan. Seminar in
Cultural and Creativity: Education and Training in the Art.
Weinstein, S. (2010). “A unified poet alliance”: The personal and social outcomes of youth
spoken word poetry programming. International Journal of Education and the Arts,
11(2), 1–24.
Wenger, Etienne, Richard A. McDermott, and William Snyder (2002). Cultivating Communities
of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School,
Print.
51
Wenger, Etienne (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge,
U.K.: Cambridge UP, Print.