HEART BECAUSE RADICAL LOVE IS THE ONLY WAY ART BECAUSE REIMAGINING TAKES CREATIVITY WORK BECAUSE THE JOURNEY TAKES COMMITMENT AND PERSEVERANCE COLLECTIVE BECAUSE WE'RE STRONGER TOGETHER
Philosophy
HeARTWork Collective is a consulting entity, officially formed in spring of 2016. Tina LaPadula and Daemond Arrindell began facilitating racial equity and social justice workshops as a team in 2014, as representatives of Arts Corps, working with schools, community partners and arts & cultural organizations around Seattle. As demand for the trainings and our distinctive presentation style has grown, the creation of HeArtWork Collective has been a natural progression.
We come to the work of social justice from a unique perspective and approach, bringing our creativity, teaching artistry and community development work into play. We feel that the complex framework of our country's systematic inequities require nuanced tactics to interrupt them effectively. Our namesake illustrates the concepts we stand by: HEART because radical love is the only way – it is a conscious choice and investment in each person we work with for the betterment of our communities; ART because reimagining takes creativity – this work requires critical thinking and envisioning possibilities different than those laid out for us; WORK because the journey takes commitment and perseverance – none of this can be done overnight or in one workshop but we are in this for the long haul; COLLECTIVE because we’re stronger together - we believe in learning from one another and using our collective wisdom as a tool for the empowerment of us all.
As culturally responsive teaching artists, we constantly re-address the needs within our classroom communities to create and maintain safer spaces for our students to show up in all their identities. These experiences have made us exceptional collaborators, and we bring these same skills and principles to our social justice work. Through active listening, we excel at holding the container of our partners’ organizational structure, allowing us to see objectively and support their goals. We understand that every program and organization has its own culture and history that informs the work they do. This requires us to show up with both adaptability and flexibility to effectively address their needs and guide them to success. We use organizational assessment and development tools we continue to tweak as we continue to grow ourselves.
As facilitators we strive to build shared language and frameworks, to ensure understanding on all levels of the organization, that can be utilized and built upon in workplaces. We like to incite radical imaginations, reflection, risk taking, problem solving and higher levels of engagement and investment from staff and boards. We bring our creative selves to these conversations to inspire the creative capacities of all we work with, and to instill a growth mentality, recognizing that struggle is a vital part of learning and a sure sign that we are growing. We challenge partners and participants to step outside their comfort zones, and remind our collaborators that inaction is just as much a choice as action.
We, the HeArtWork Collective, consider ourselves to be lifelong learners, and do not ask anything of our partners and allies that we do not practice ourselves. We are committed to the long haul. We would love to move forward together, seeking greater justice and truth, striving to live in accountability to ourselves and our community.
“I was challenged, inspired, and feel like I’m leaving with real tools.”
training
Workshops, Conversations and Consulting at the intersection of culture, identity, equity and art.
Cultivating Equity: Interrupting Bias and Oppression
How do social position, bias and systemic oppression (e.g. racism, classism, adultism, sexism, etc.) play out in our institutions? What levers do each of us have to create equitable and inclusive environments for all? Using foundational concepts of social identity and oppression, participants will self-reflect and unpack challenging dynamics using simple theatre activities and develop a deeper understanding of their power to build equity. HeArtWork will share our framework for analyzing oppressive dynamics and attendees will practice naming and framing real life situations. Take away best practices and tools that are rooted in social justice pedagogy. (can be modified to be a 90min, 2 or 3hr session)
Exploring Culture and Identity
How have you shared your culture today? Let’s grapple experientially with what culture means and how it overlaps our social identities (gender, race, ethnicity etc.) Participants begin to understand the culture we carry with us consciously and unconsciously and how that can positively and negatively affect our interactions at home and our work relationships. We consider culturally relevant teaching and learning strategies and tools to get be more intentional about how we show up in life, and how to authentically engage in community. (can be 2hrs or merged with Cultivating Equity workshop)
Powerful Learning Through the Arts – Teaching Creative Habits
What do students learn through the arts? Let’s unpack the 4 “C’s” (Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication) and 21st Century Skills. We’ll explore the practice of creative habits of mind, and address the intrinsic benefits of arts education. We will engage in dialogue and exercises with an aim toward utilizing a common lens and language for arts learning that highlights transferrable skills, creativity and leadership…then we’ll take it one step farther by exploring how ensuring all youth (especially those in underserved communities) have access to this kind of learning can bring about revolutionary social change. (1 to 2 hrs)
Patterns of Racial Inequity in Arts Education
Young people of color have dramatically reduced access to arts education relative to their white peers, a stark reality underscored by the 2011 NEA report of findings from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. The Guild for Community Arts Education’s 2011 Benchmark Survey Report shows that Guild members are addressing this opportunity gap by working predominantly with youth of color. Yet this report also shows that the staff, faculty and leadership of the majority of our organizations are mostly white. In this session, we will engage in a reflective dialogue on the implications of this dichotomy on our ability to achieve equity and racial justice goals. We will review contemporary statistics and literature, the limitations of current arts education models, and transformative opportunities to engage in arts education as racial justice. (90 min to 2 hours)
Cultivating Growth Mindset
What needs to be in place for students or coworkers to participate and thrive? This workshop focuses on understanding Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets. HeARTWork will share current data and research on the topic. Participants will challenge ourselves with arts activities that help us explore our personal narratives about what we feel capable of. Next we'll analyze the oppressive messages we receive, internalize, and can inadvertently pass on (with regard to race and gender etc.) and wrap up with effective strategies and tools for adults and young people. (90 min)
Modeling Creativity
How do we stay creative and model creativity? This workshop explores the artistic process and reconnects us with the artist habits. We’ll practice reflection, imagination, critical thinking and risk-taking along the way and reaffirm our creative stamina to be our best selves and do our most effective work. (90 min to 3 hrs)
Making Learning Visible - Learner-based Assessment
It’s important to give ourselves and folks we collaborate with time to reflect. This workshop focuses on ways to mirror back growth and change in skills, behaviors and attitudes toward learning. Utilizing simple tools and strategies for speedy and effective individual and group assessment. We’ll highlight creative methods for documentation and community sharing too! 1 to 2 hrs)
Organization-Building for Racial Justice
Sharing lessons learned from organizational journeys to transform the internal culture and organizational practices of predominantly white-led organizations working to authentically move toward racial justice. In this workshop, participants will deepen their understanding of institutional oppression and its manifestations in community arts education; assess their own organizational practices and their implications for racial justice; and gain new tools and resources for the journey along with a new local and national peer group to provide ongoing support and accountability for this critical and courageous work. (90min to 2 hours)
Courageous Conversations
We are committed to honest dialogue. We model ways to cultivate and create safe space for critical conversation. Learn how to explore group expectations, generate shared agreements, as well as simple and effective tools to share and receive feedback or opinions.
Note: These can focus on issues particular to a school, institution or community or be connected to pre-assigned shared readings or be paired with facilitated screenings of some of our favorite educational films. Great for Parent Teacher Associations, Boards, Administrative / Staff meetings and retreats.
Arts and Social Justice Institute
Our 2-day Institute is the full-meal deal. We pack in history, personal exploration and handy tools to up your game. This is intentional creative engagement in courageous conversation and reflection about our practice. The overall goals are - A shared understanding and language around inequity, the arts and social justice. To practice using tools for building anti-oppressive and socially just foundations for classrooms, institutions and communities. To look at social justice ideas and liberation strategies through a creative lens.
Individual and Organizational Consultation
Personalized strategizing for individuals or organizations struggling with challenging situations. Reflecting and problem solving with objective supporters is always helpful. Whether you’re a teacher, staffer or community member seeking a sounding board for goal setting or an organization seeking tools to begin or jumpstart culture shift and positive change.
Co-Facilitators
Daemond Arrindell is a multi-genre writer, performer, and Teaching Artist. After more than ten years working in social services, eight of them managing the King County Crisis Connection’s teen hotline, Teen Link, his passion for spoken word poetry took center stage and he channeled his energy into his art and arts education. He has been a faculty member of TAT Lab: the Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab; Freehold Theatre - co-facilitating poetry and theater residencies at Monroe Correctional Complex for men for 15 years; Adjunct faculty at Seattle University and Tacoma’s School of the Arts; Senior Writer-In-Residence through Seattle Arts & Lectures' Writers in the Schools Program and Skagit River Poetry Foundation.
Daemond’s teaching focuses on the complexities of identity: how we define ourselves, how society sees (or doesn’t see) us, and how we face and function within those realities. Whether facilitating high school students, adult educators or incarcerated populations, his objectives remain the same: to think critically and creatively; to honor individual voices, especially those who have been disenfranchised, overlooked or ignored; to reflect on what makes us unique and celebrate it. In the process of building space for these voices and stories, it became necessary to address the systems of oppression that empower some and disadvantage others as well as their current and historical context. This led to a more formal and intentional bridge between arts education and social justice work.
Tina LaPadula is an east coast transplant and warrior for equitable art making and learning opportunities. For more than 15 years she poured most of her creative energy into Arts Corps, the award winning arts and social justice non-profit she helped found. She has collaborated with The Frye Museum, The Museum of History and Industry and Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival and NW Folklife to curate exhibitions and events that elevate the art and perspectives of young people. As a teaching artist Tina has taught at performance and storytelling Centrum Arts, Seattle Children's Theatre, The University of Washington, and in a multitude of schools and after school programs.
These days she serves as the Creative Youth Project Manager for the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, and as a consultant, facilitating workshops on racial equity and the arts for public schools, cultural organizations and national conferences.
Tina supports the growth and development of teaching artists locally and nationally, most notably as the founder of the Seattle Teaching Artist Network, as a faculty member for the WA State Teaching Artist Training Lab, as the former chair of the Association of Teaching Artists, and as a national advisor to the Teaching Artist Guild. Her writing and opinion have been featured by Americans for the Arts, On the Boards, The Teaching Artist Journal and The National Guild for Community Arts Education.
rates
We have a negotiable sliding rate meant to make this work affordable and accessible to grassroots organizers and non-profits as well as private organizations and cultural institutions.
$100 to $200 per hour of consultation / meeting time
$300 to $500 per hour for workshop facilitation time
plus travel expenses when applicable
If you are working with specific grant limitations, budget amounts or timelines we are flexible collaborators and creative problem solvers.
