Teaching Artistry with Courtney J. Boddie

About Teaching Artistry with Courtney J. Boddie

Teaching Artistry blends creative and educational practice in service of community building, social justice, and inspiring joy. Courtney J. Boddie, Host and Creator, chats with teaching artists and arts educators who are driving professional teaching artistry forward. Courtney and her guests discuss personal journeys, celebrate triumphs and challenges, and advocate fiercely for the arts in all communities.

Publisher

Teaching Artistry with Courtney J. Boddie

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Feb 2017

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

177 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Episode 91, ACT 1: Ann Gregg - Expand Your Mind

   What if curiosity isn’t just a personality trait, but a practice? What if imagining the future is itself a form of teaching artistry? In Act One of this conversation, Courtney sits down with arts educator, arts leader, and entrepreneur Ann Gregg for a wide-ranging conversation about curiosity, creativity, community, and the many paths that can make up a life in the arts. Ann’s career has moved through public school music education, professional performance, teaching artistry, philanthropy, cultural institutions, and now entrepreneurship. Along the way, she has learned to follow the questions that keep opening new doors. Today, she and her husband run Into the Future, a neighborhood resource designed to give young people space to play, imagine, build, and think expansively about what might be possible. Together, Courtney and Ann explore the relationship between arts education and futurism, and the power of asking “What if?” before rushing toward the practicalities of what is possible right now. They talk about free play, imagination, curiosity, and the importance of giving young people opportunities to envision futures that don't yet exist. Their conversation also moves into the heart of teaching artistry: relationship. Ann reflects on discovering the language of “teaching artist” after already having spent years living it, her experience helping build the Teaching Artists Collaborative at Carnegie Hall, and the ways relationships with artists, educators, and young people can shape programs over time. From neighborhood storefronts to Carnegie Hall, from the viola to public school classrooms, from planting seeds to imagining seven generations into the future, Ann and Courtney consider what happens when we stop trying to solve everything immediately and instead create the conditions for something to grow. This episode is an invitation to stay curious, make room for possibility, and remember that sometimes the most powerful question we can ask is simply: What if? In this episode, you'll hear about: -Curiosity, imagination, and futurism as practices of arts education -The creation of Into the Future and its focus on play, learning, and building -Ann's journey from professional violist to public school music teacher and teaching artist -Discovering the meaning of “teaching artist” at Carnegie Hall -The power of local relationships and community-rooted work -Trust, long-term thinking, and imagining seven generations into the future -How arts programs evolve when participants have real agency in shaping them -Why teaching artistry is ultimately about being in relationship Guest: Ann Gregg Host: Courtney J. Boddie Creative Producer: Jonathan Zautner Act Two continues Ann and Courtney's conversation, going deeper into teaching artistry, relationship, power, and the ways arts programs can evolve when we listen closely to the people at the center of the work.

2. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Episode 90: The Revolutionary Power of Theater, Recorded Live to Celebrate 60 Years of NYU's Program in Educational Theatre

   In this special panel celebrating 60 years of Educational Theatre at NYU, moderator Adam D-F Stevens is joined by alumni and adjunct professors, Marissa Russo, Courtney J. Boddie, and Daryl Embry for a conversation about accessibility, belonging, student agency, institutional leadership, and the power of theater to meet the moment. From radically welcoming spaces and autism-friendly performances to Shakespeare in cafeterias and student-devised work, the panelists explore what happens when we expand our understanding of where theatre belongs, and who gets to make it. Together, they consider how educational theatre can continue to respond to crises, dismantle barriers, create joy, and build a more equitable future. People Mentioned Panelists & Moderator Adam D-F Stevens — Moderator, drama therapist, and doctoral student in NYU Educational Theatre. Marissa Russo — Theatre artist and practitioner specializing in accessibility. Courtney J. Boddie — Vice President of Education & School Engagement at New 42 and host of the Teaching Artistry Podcast. Daryl Embry — Theater artist, designer, educator, and Program Manager at the Arthur Miller Foundation References & Further Reading Organizations & Programs NYU Educational Theatre — The program celebrating its 60th anniversary and the home of the panel discussion. New 42 — The organization behind The New Victory Theater and arts education initiatives discussed by Courtney J. Boddie. The New Victory Theater — New York City's theater dedicated to kids and their families. The Arthur Miller Foundation — Arts education organization where Daryl Embry serves as Program Manager. Theatre Development Fund (TDF) — Referenced in connection with autism-friendly performances and theater accessibility. Resources Mentioned Teach with GIVE — A free resource developed by New Victory Theater, ArtsConnection and Community-Word Project, offering visual vocabulary and tools for educators working to create more inclusive and liberatory learning environments. Speak Up, Act Out — A New Victory arts education program centered on young people's voices and the social issues they want to address. Autism-Friendly Performances TDF Autism-Friendly Performances — Performances designed to create a more welcoming theater experience for autistic and neurodivergent audience members and their families. The panel's guiding principle: "Access is the norm, not the event." Shakespeare to Go NYU Shakespeare to Go — An outreach initiative that brings shortened Shakespeare productions directly into schools and nontraditional performance spaces. Programs & Practices Discussed Devising Theatre The panel explores how traditional models of devised theater can be adapted when working with students who communicate in nontraditional ways. Marissa Russo discusses the importance of taking time, using visual supports, and honoring student choices—even when those choices don't conform to adults' expectations. Accessible & Inclusive Theatre Topics include: Autism-friendly performances Visual vocabulary Communication devices Removing barriers to participation Making access part of everyday practice rather than a special event Expanding ideas about who can be a theater maker and who belongs in the audience Immersive Theatre The panel discusses the changing relationship between audience and performer and the growing interest in theatrical experiences that blur traditional boundaries between the two.

3. 

   4 Aug 2026

   Episode 89, ACT 2: Dr. Rachael Jacobs - Dancing Through The Portal

   How do artists continue telling the truth when the political climate encourages silence? What does it take to build brave spaces instead of simply safe ones? And how can storytelling help us move through polarization without losing our convictions? In the second act of this special live conversation, host Courtney J. Boddie welcomes the audience into an expansive dialogue with Australian arts educator, researcher, activist, and South Asian dance artist Rachael Jacobs. Together, they reflect on what it means to practice teaching artistry in a moment defined by uncertainty, resistance, and possibility. Throughout the discussion, Rachael returns to the power of story, not as an escape from conflict, but as a way through it. She speaks about artists as the "front line of resistance," the importance of coalition-building, and why teaching artists are uniquely equipped to imagine new possibilities when existing systems fall short. Alongside moments of laughter and vulnerability, the conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone working at the intersection of art, education, and social change. Recorded live, this episode is both a celebration of collective inquiry and a reminder that meaningful change rarely happens alone, but it begins in conversation. In this episode, you'll hear about: Why artists remain essential voices during moments of political uncertainty The shift from "safe spaces" to "brave spaces" and ultimately "accountable spaces" Storytelling as a tool for bridging difference and inspiring action Language, culture, and reclaiming power through education Coalition-building, leadership, and the courage to be misunderstood Imagining a more inclusive artistic canon for future generations Guest: Rachael Jacobs Host: Courtney J. Boddie If you haven't yet listened to Episode 89, Act One, we recommend starting there, where Courtney and Rachael invite listeners to think beyond incremental change and consider how artists can become powerful bridge-builders in increasingly polarized times. References & Further Reading Eve Tuck Faculty profile Mona Eltahawy Substack The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls Research Mentioned "The Race to Innocence" written by Mary Louise Fellows* and Sherene Razack Special Thanks Special thanks to the live audience, creative producer Jonathan Zautner, and Jono Waldman for writing and performing the Teaching Artistry Podcast theme song.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

20 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

52

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.