The Institute of Contemporary Art held its first national teen arts education conference over the weekend.
The goal of the conference, “Building Brave Spaces: Mobilizing Teen Arts Education,” was to look at the progress of teen arts education in the past decade and build on future plans across a variety of institutions and age groups.
“My time here has been really amazing and has intertwined with so many creators,” Mithsuca Berry, an ICA Teen Arts Council alum, said while giving the introduction to the event Friday night. “They all taught me things and lent a hand to my growth as a creative, but not only that — as a person.”
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The event, which featured workshops and panels, included conversations with educators and students alike, including Boston’s chief of education, Turahn Dorsey; author, activist, and San Francisco State University professor Shawn Ginwright; writer, performer, choreographer, and 2018 MacArthur Fellow Okwui Okpokwasili; artist and Slanguage Studio cofounder Mario Ybarra Jr.; and the 2018 National Youth Poet Laureate, Patricia Frazier.
Youth members of Berklee City Music also performed, led by Boston-area teen Danny Rivera. Members of the ICA Teen Arts Council gave gallery tours.
Lillian Brown
Lillian Brown can be reached at lillian.brown@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @lilliangbrown.