TCG Releases Research on Arts Education

Workshops and classes in schools are the most common form of arts education programming, according to the surveyed theatres in the Special Report on Education 2011: Indispensible Resources. Released by Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the report compiles the essential arts education resources from the past year, along with the results from the TCG Education Survey 2011. Since 1999, TCG's education reporting has provided theatre professionals with the latest research, statistics and evolving methodologies in arts education.

"The Special Report on Education 2011: Indispensible Resources highlights a growing body of research that supports the importance of arts in education," said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. "Additionally, the TCG Education Survey 2011 results help theatres and arts education professionals compare their programming, expenses and funding to field benchmarks to better serve their communities."

Along with the TCG Education Survey 2011 results, the Special Report on Education 2011: Indispensible Resources includes highlights of new research studies by the Arts Education Partnership, the National Endowment for the Arts, the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the U.S. Department of Education. The report also features links to a growing body of online arts education tools and resources.

The TCG Education Survey 2011 includes reporting by 103 TCG Member Theatres about their education programming, including answers to questions regarding demographics, staffing, expenses and income. The report conveys actual and projected activity for theatres' fiscal year ending anytime in 2011. Some highlights from the research include:

91% of respondents reported offering in-school workshops and classes, the most common form of reported theatre education programming.
65% reported offering access programs for economically disadvantaged students.
55% reported offering professional development in arts education for classroom teachers.
32% reported offering programs specifically to develop and strengthen literacy.
12-18 was the most widely-served age demographic, with 99% of participating theatres reporting an average of 47% of education programming dedicated to serving this population.
Ages 5-11 was the second most widely served, with 81% of participating theatres dedicating an average of 31% of education programming targeting this age demographic.
Reporting theatres employed an average of 3.1 full-time education staff, 2.6 part-time education staff and 19.9 artist educators.