Tips for Introducing Work

Visual and video artists can use these, too - at in-school screenings, classroom presentations, arts festivals and such.

Here are some ideas for creating and presenting an introduction.

• Lead an inquiry-based discussion about the artwork. Examples: What’s the point of an introduction? What steps did we take to make this artwork? What inspired us to make it? What did we learn by creating it? What does the work mean to us?

• Take notes on the board during the discussion.

• Work as a class to come up with text. Pull ideas from the class, using notes from the previous discussion, and transcribe them on the board. Edit together. Another option is to come up with questions and answers and “interview” a select group of kids at the performance.

• Ask for volunteers to read the introduction at the performance.

• Working with the small group, break the introduction into chunks and decide who should read which part, where you’ll stand, etc.

• Practice until everyone’s comfortable.

• Bring several printouts of the script (large font) to the performance.

• Do a group warm-up beforehand to get kids focused and working together.

• Stand on stage with your kids if they’re nervous.