Teaching
UNIVERSITY CLASSES
Tom created and has taught "How To Be a Cultural Activist" at DePaul University's School for New Learning. This class explores issues of cultural policy and exposes students to the tools and techniques of effective social change organizing. The class uses lecture, guest lecture/performance and field work. The image shows members of the street theater activist group Billionaires for Bush visiting the class. Tom's other DePaul classes which explore creativity and civic engagement: "Who's Lying To You Now?" (critical thinking and the media), "The Politics of Creativity," "Creative Tools for Social Change," "Building an Online Catalog for Civic Activism in Chicago," and "International Creativity Policy."
Tom created and taught "The Artist as Activist" for Loyola University's Theater Department in early 2007. For this class students formed teams and partnered with campus social change organizations to produce creative events to help those organizations. One team partnered with College Advocates for Reproductive Education to produce an evening of readings and conversation, "Talk Sex." The event was powerful and will become an annual event. Learn more.
Tom is teaching "The Art of Crossing the Street" for The School of the Art Institute in 2007. This class examines the role of the artist in society and challenges students to think of new ways of creating and relating to their creative efforts.
CREATIVITY & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Tom has over 15 years experience in combining the arts, education and civic activism. He organized Greater Chicago Citizens for the Arts in 1990 to help elect candidates who supported the arts and freedom of expression. GCCA produced exhibits, rallies, performances and training sessions that combined elements of political education and creative expression. The group also wrote platform position papers on arts and culture for candidates for the Illinois House, the U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate.
In 1991 Tom organized a center for cultural policy at the Institute for Metropolitan Affairs at Roosevelt University. Read the case for the center, the mission statement, a proposed list of research projects, and an essay, "The Arts Need to Get Into Political Action." Tom created and taught "Arts and Public Policy" at Roosevelt University for two years. This class was offered to students in the public policy, public administration and performing arts programs.
In 2004 Tom created a training program aimed at inspiring and preparing artists and creative professionals to lead in the public sector. He created a performance lecture on "The Politics of Creativity - A Call to Service" as the foundation for this training. He has conducted training sessions for creative professionals on how to lead social change efforts and run for local office.
PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE
Tom taught "Speaking Shakespeare" at Newberry Library for many years. This class showed students how to perform Shakespeare clearly and compellingly using performance techniques developed as a founding member of the Free Shakespeare Company. Tom toured area schools in 1980's for Urban Gateways with an original program, "Shakespeare's Men and Women" (to some 100,000+ students!) and conducted dozens of school workshops on Shakespeare's verse.
BRAINSTIR™ IDEATION SESSION
Tom created, produced and facilitated a series of networking and problem-solving experiences called the BrainStir, which were built around participants preparing and enjoying a stir-fry dinner! These sessions literally cook up great ideas and high-energy problem-solving for participants. The high-energy events were fun, productive and delicious! Details.
