The use of arts in the program of the YWCA of the U.S.A. and its local associations has been prominent from their beginnings. The YWCA of the U.S.A. encourages its associations to use arts, music and drama to help express ideas, start discussions, interpret their purpose and illustrate social and economic issues. By the 1960's the use of arts in the program of the YWCA of the U.S.A. has expanded to include film, dance, slide shows and television in addition to drama, music and other visual arts. Tool-kits and handbooks from the YWCA of the U.S.A. are designed to help local associations implement the use of creative arts into their program and communication offering suggestions and program guidelines. A history of the role of music in the YWCA of the U.S.A. provides some background information as to the importance of music arts throughout the life of the organization and includes song sheets and programs. Included in the documents concerning the use of drama are materials from the Voices Educational Service, Inc. for using drama to connect with the African American experience. Additional materials include articles and excerpts from YWCA publications concerning the use of arts in the organization, scripts to accompany slide show presentations, planning materials for the 1968 YWCA Dialogue with the Living Arts program in Aspen, Colorado, and scripts for skits used in associations.
Arts
circa 1946-1970
431 frames (1 partial reel)
This collection is open for use without restriction beyond the standard terms and conditions of Smith College Special Collections. However, by agreement with the YWCA of the U.S.A., microdexes known to contain financial records or personal health information (usually on job applications) were not digitized and/or not published in our online repository as part of the CLIR Digitizing Hidden Collections grant. These microdexes may still be accessed on the original microfilm, and digital files may be made available to individual researchers upon request.
To the extent that it owns copyright, YWCA of the USA has retained copyright in its works donated to Smith College, but has has authorized Smith College Special Collections to grant permission to publish reproductions or quotations from the records on its behalf. Copyright in other items in this collection may be held by their respective creators. For reproductions of materials that are governed by fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. For those few instances beyond fair use, or which may regard materials in the collection not created by YWCA of the USA, researchers are responsible for determining who may hold materials' copyrights and obtaining approval from them. Researchers do not need anything further from Smith College Special Collections to move forward with their use.
Arts, Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History, MS 00324, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts.
Box 4: Series 1; Series 2; Series 3, Reel 283
smith_ssc_324_r283_m001