April 2025 - Fine Arts

Building a Safe Community for Developing Future Leaders

LaMurl Morris, Director of Fine Arts

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12 NIV)

One of our goals in the Prince Fine Arts Department is to help develop future leaders by creating a safe community where students can develop their leadership skills. When students work alongside teachers, directors, parents, and their classmates, they gain the necessary skills to lead others by inspiring and encouraging others to achieve their full potential.

Preparing students for leadership involves a multifaceted approach through education, mentorship, and real-world experience. Through education, students gain knowledge and the necessary skills of critical thinking, written and verbal communication, organization, technology platforms, and analytical tools. In the arts, we employ all these educational tools as well as provide opportunities for mentorship and leadership.

Leadership is a skill that can be taught and learned just like any other skill. Yes, some people are naturally bent towards leadership, but all students can learn and develop leadership skills. As fine arts teachers, we try to model leadership that is participative, where students help make decisions, and we desire to model servant leadership where we foster collaboration and prioritize the needs of our school community. We observe the strengths and weaknesses of our students and try to find situations where our students can mature in their skills. Like a child learning to crawl or walk, students learning to be responsible and lead others begins with small steps. Some of these steps might look like helping Mr. Dailey move equipment and taking inventory that all needed equipment is available. Perhaps some beginning steps would be organizing tools and paint for an upcoming construction. As students gain more confidence in their skills, they begin to take on more responsibility such as leading a sectional rehearsal, collaborating on costume design, or serving as a student director.

When we provide the space for students to lead, we must also provide the environment for students to fail. Sometimes students do not follow through with their assigned tasks, or they have difficulty working with other students, or they have not estimated the amount of time that an assigned task requires. There are many reasons why a student may not be successful when stepping into a leadership position; however, it is important that we provide an atmosphere of grace, accountability, and mentorship. After our concerts, productions, trips, and other fine arts activities, we hold an “after-action” forum or a “family meeting” where we discuss what actions worked, what improvements we can make, and how we can refine our processes. Students are encouraged to share ideas, insights and other information. When we create collaborative space, we remove the barriers that keep people from trusting one another. Through the journey of taking an idea and bringing it to life, students take ownership of the process and the product, thus developing confident and experienced leaders.

“Just as culture reflects the character and values of a group, character reflects the beliefs, values, and morals of an individual.” (Arau, 2021, p. 248). Since actions are motivated by our thoughts and attitudes, it is important to recognize that leadership comes from within; therefore, as followers of Jesus Christ, our leadership skills should be built on biblical principles and our desire to reflect Jesus in our speech and actions. “As you build your leadership skills, it’s important to remember that why you lead is as important as whom you lead.” (Dungy, 2011, p. 9). Ultimately, our goal is to develop student leaders who reflect the humility and integrity of Jesus that is also reflected in scripture. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV).



As a fine arts community—students, teachers, directors, and parents-- we aim to foster an environment where students can gain the skills, confidence, trust, and competence to be the future leaders in our schools, churches, and communities. Let us be faithful as a Prince family to pray for and to encourage our students as they prepare to be our future leaders.

Sources:



Arau, M. (2021). Upbeat. GIA Publications.



Dungy, T. (2011). The Mentor Leader. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc: Made available through hoopla.