The ArtsLiteracy Project
Brown Summer High School

Are the works of Shakespeare, Shaw, and Sophocles relevant to the lives of 21st century teenagers? Ask students of the ArtsLiteracy Projectís Brown Summer High School program this question, and the answer is a resounding ìYes!î The goal of the ArtsLiteracy Project, launched in 1998, is to use challenging dramatic texts as the basis for developing original student interpretations and performances. The performances help students define themselves, their peers, and their society. Participants also improve their literacy and critical-thinking skills through both textual analysis and creative expression.

The ArtsLiteracy Projectís Brown Summer High School program annually serves 150 students from more than 40 high schools, primarily in minority and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Teaching teams comprise practicing teachers, professional artists, and high school-age youth leaders, all of whom participate in a full week of training seminars. These teams then design and facilitate four weeks of daily workshops for the teenaged students.

The programís six-stage Performance Cycle approach builds on the strong link between analytical study of dramatic literature and cognitive, social, and personal development. Students learn to make connections between the text and their own lives, a process that increases their willingness to engage with the text and strengthens their literacy skills. Beginning with community building, the students then move into a series of activities focused on reading, comprehending, writing, rehearsing, revising, and performing the text. Studied works have included Shawís St. Joan; Shakespeareís Othello and The Taming of the Shrew; and Anayaís Bless Me, Ultima. Throughout all of these Performance Cycle phases, the teaching teams encourage participants to confront and interact with the text, drawing on a variety of art forms; their own experiences; and a range of performance techniques, from rap music to puppetry. Both students and teachers constantly reflect on their work, challenging one another to delve deeper into the text and explore their own creative impulses. Final performances are dynamic and engaging blends of student writing and original text.

In addition to the cognitive and social skills development resulting from the workshops, the overall thrust of the program is to give students a sense of ownership of their educational progress, increasing their self-confidence and instilling in them a lifelong love of learning. By placing students in a structured artistic environment and giving them a full kit of creative tools, the ArtsLiteracy Project helps them find new life and meaning in classic texts and honors the intelligence and life experiences of all who participate.