Teaching Artists and the Future of Education

Research Consultant
Chicago, Illinois

CSC served as a qualitative research partner for the Bay Area component of the national Teaching Artist Research Project (TARP), led by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center.

TARP was the first comprehensive U.S. study examining the professional landscape of teaching artists and the dynamics shaping local arts education ecosystems across twelve communities nationwide.

Working in partnership with Nick Rabkin, CSC conducted in-depth qualitative research to assess the condition of the Bay Area’s arts education ecosystem and to better understand the lived realities of teaching artists.

The work included:

• Leading interviews with artists, funders, policymakers, and education leaders
• Examining structural conditions affecting teaching artists’ sustainability
• Identifying ecosystem-level strengths and vulnerabilities
• Surfacing patterns in cross-sector collaboration and policy alignment

Rather than focusing solely on workforce characteristics, the research explored how teaching artists operate within interconnected systems of funding, education policy, community demand, and institutional design.

The findings contributed to a national portrait of teaching artists and offered insights into how local ecosystems can better support arts education and creative labor.

This engagement reflects CSC’s broader commitment to integrating cultural labor, educational systems, and public policy — recognizing that equitable access to arts education depends on strengthening the relational and structural conditions that sustain the field.