Music, theater, visual art, and literature constitute a major aspect of the American educational experience. In addition to studying the works of others, students are also encouraged to express themselves through the creation of theater, poems, short stories, paintings, photos, or drawings. Like other forms of speech, these student creations can be a source of controversy.
NCAC supports musicians, actors, artists, and writers who find that their creative works are the targets of censorship efforts. We work directly with students and teachers who have been censored and write letters to administrators, officials, and school boards to advise them about the moral, legal, and pedagogical implications of censoring student creativity.
TOOLKIT
The Show Must Go On: A Toolkit for Organizing Against Theatre Censorship in Public Schools
Some of the most artistically rich theater has been disturbing, subversive, transformative–and often a target of censorship. Challenges to drama productions come from parents, community members, or school officials. This toolkit is designed to provide students the resources to fight for free expression and artistic freedom.