Interview by AFA Intern Mackenzie Timbrell in Spring of 2024
Q: Who are you?
Nicole: I’m Nicole! I am a teaching artist and theater maker, as well as a nonprofit professional, specifically in marketing and development.
Q: How did you first get involved in theatre?
Nicole: I always loved theater as a kid. My parents were very kind and brought me to all sorts of plays and Broadway shows that helped to stoke that fire. I was always so engaged and loved the sets and costumes. Then, I kind of dropped off of theater for a bit until I found my internship at the New York City Children’s Theater in 2013. Their main mission was to make theater for children, which, as I didn’t know at the time, was exactly what I wanted to do. Working there was really what fueled the pivot from being a theater enjoyer or watcher to being able to use theater as a tool for education as well as entertainment.
Q: What is your educational background?
Nicole: My bachelor’s was in marketing at St. John’s University in Queens. I always sort of knew that I wanted to go for my master’s, and the question was always “in what?”. I think I knew I didn’t want it to be in marketing, so when I started working at NYCCT, I began to work on the education side of things. This led me to the CUNY applied theater program, which was really based on how you can use theater for social change and how to build community. It was a really great fit for where I was headed.
Q: What drew you to Arts For All? What are some of the projects you have been working on with students so far?
Nicole: I found Arts For All through Marcela, who is a current teaching artist, while we were doing our master’s together. I was really taken with their mission to provide arts programs to schools that do not have them. There is something really special about that mission, and it really makes Arts For All unique and impactful to the specific schools that they serve. I really saw that when I was working with my last school, and some of the kid’s favorite projects were the shadow puppets and dragon puppets that we were able to make. I also brought in a real puppet, so they were able to learn how to puppeteer and manipulate the arms and mouth to be expressive.
Q: How do the children you work with inspire you to continue being a teaching artist?
Nicole: This has been a highlight of my year. Teaching brings such joy. It’s a lot of work, and it’s hard work, but connecting with the young people and knowing that you are there for them is so important. You want to keep coming back to the schools because it is so inspiring to see the children so engaged. Because the children don’t have a lot of arts in general, it is a privilege to be able to provide them with that through Arts For All. I am a firm believer that young people are the best. They are so inquisitive and excited, but most importantly, they are willing to be free in their art.
Q: What is one of the main takeaways you hope the students gain from your classes?
Nicole: I try very hard to make my projects something that they can do at home. I try to use materials that I think they might have at home. When we did shadow puppets, I used a cardboard box and paper, so it was super accessible for the children. I really hope that a takeaway for them is that they can do art, and they can do art at home. Also, that art can be anything!
Q: Do you have any favorite in-classroom moments working with students?
Nicole: One of my favorite things I did with the two groups of students I worked with in the fall was to count to 20 and not overlap with another person. In both classes, we could not get past one. They were so determined to win the game and work together to be able to achieve that goal. We would begin or end class with that activity. I also had a really great day when I brought in the real puppet. The group would engage and ask the puppet questions, which really showed the power of theater. It was really awesome to see them buy into the fantastical world.
Q: What does art mean to you?
Nicole: For me, art is about curiosity, accessibility, and creativity. I feel like art should be for everyone, and that’s my aim when I teach art and theater. It is putting beauty into the world in a way that can impact the most people.
