Culturally Relevant Arts Education with Mary Stone Hanley

By teaching young people the arts, you are transforming the world. This is how Dr. Mary Stone Hanley frames Culturally Relevant Arts Education (CRAE). Dr. Hanley passionately argues that working with young people is political and creating art is a political act. She believes that everyone who works with young people need to be aware of social justice issues. She has written that through the arts marginalized, racialized and or oppressed children and youth can “be creative and critical change agents who challenge demeaning perceptions and practices”. Dr. Hanley discusses specific examples of culturally relevant art projects she has been part of, explains the theory behind CRAE, and shows “a way out of no way”.

Dr. Hanley is a performer, poet, educator, playwright and artivist. She is the author of numerous articles and most recently co-edited a book called Culturally Relevant Arts Education for Social Justice: A Way Out of No Way. For more information about Dr. Hanley please visit Hanley Arts at MaryStoneHanley.com.