Arts Corps is happy to introduce our new Director of Arts Education, Jéhan Òsanyìn!
Previously, you have been part of Arts Corps as a teaching artist. What made you return as an administrator?
One of the reasons I left Arts Corps as a Teaching Artist was because while working as a Creative Schools Initiative Teaching Artist in dual language classrooms, I learned what it meant to teach young people in a language other than English and fell in love with it. It helped me more deeply root my pedagogy in anti-colonial theory through understanding my relationship with language and learning. I knew I wanted to be a more proficient educator when teaching in Spanish speaking communities. I also wanted to investigate what it meant to be West Indian (St. Johnian and Jamaican) and think about how the Spanish colonization that occurred in 1455 in Jamaica. What residue remains after the Spanish left? What are the remnants of British colonization? Where does that live in body? In my practice? In my curriculum? While my work as an Arts Corps teaching artist helped me understand the depths of colonization and internalized racial trauma in an arts integrated classroom, I wanted to work with the adults who worked with young people to provide more advanced professional development opportunities. I needed to sew together the theories I’d discovered in the classroom. Returning to Arts Corps as administrator is an opportunity to support Teaching Artists and the young people they serve by creating systems around them. I’d love for the entire world to see teaching artistry as a career you can retire from.
Beyond Arts Corps, you have so much experience as a transdisciplinary artist, educator, and facilitator! Can you tell us about some of the work you’ve done in the past and some of the practices you’ve learned from it?
Sure! I’ve had the lovely opportunity to work with a lot of organizations who made me sign an NDA before working with them. Feel free to make a guess of which companies and you’ll likely be right. I’ve worked locally as a Director or on the team with The 5th Avenue Theatre (Into the Woods, The Wiz, Afterwords, Wonder Boy!, Yoko’s Husband’s Killer’s Japanese Wife, Gloria). I directed Wonderful Wizard of Oz at Seattle Children’s Theatre, I adapted and directed the World Premiere audioplay of N.K. Jemisin’s short story The Effluent Engine for Book-It Repertory Company, I’ve also worked with ACT Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Village Theatre, and Intiman theatre. I wrote and performed Yankee Pickney with a now defunct theatre company, Theater Schemeater. Yankee Pickney explored state sanctioned violence against Black bodies. I trained in Cultural Somatics and Psychological First Aid with Resmaa Menakem. Some of the practices I’ve learned from that training was slowing down and moving the speed of discernment. How slowly do I have to move to make sure I’m moving in alignment with the behaviors I’ve learned and practiced and not the ones taught to me by teachers with practices and values that no longer served me?
Something that ties a lot of your work together is theatre. Why theatre?
This is hard to explain, but theatre has, historically, been the only place where I get to be in the fullness of my body and be believed. When folks are watching the journey of a character I’m playing from the beginning of the story to the end they believe what’s happened to them (with lights, sound, costumes, and supporting characters). As a big Black-bodied sometimes femme, people don’t often believe my life. I find they struggle to empathize without qualifying questions that dilute my experiences. Theatre was the only place where I could fully exist and breathe and be believed. Being believed is validating so I kept going on my path of validation until it diverged in a wood.
What is something that excites you as Director of Arts Education?
The Teaching Artists. I was in the office during Art 4 Life and listened as Yaz and Atticus taught students how to read the symbolism in Steven Universe. I’m in the office as Teaching Artists gather supplies and laugh with the program managers. I’m on this planet to work in service of young people and to fund the Arts in perpetuity. Those are what excited me as the Director of Arts Education.
What is something that excites you or is bringing you joy as a human?
Food. I love cooking and baking. The week before I started in the office I perfected my “from scratch” croissant recipe, perfected my shortcrust recipe, and baked bialys and sourdough boules for my neighbors. My grandmother was the sweetest human and the best cook. Now my brother (who lives in Pennsylvania) and I bond over FaceTime while cooking and baking for our respective loved ones. If you want to hear or see me in my happy place, talk to me about food. The highlight of my week is customizing my CSA box. Truly, it’s the little things these days.
