Artist Discipline: Theatre - Teaching Artists, Visual Arts - Teaching Artists

Artist Bio

Jacob Watson is an interdisciplinary artist living in Chicago. He recently graduated with a B.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University, with an emphasis on directing, design, and theatre for education. There, he served as Artistic Director of the nationally-recognized Purple Crayon Players, a student-run performance organization.

Since graduating, Jacob has taught and developed curriculum with numerous arts organizations, including Albany Park Theatre Project, Redmoon, Goodman Theatre, and Dream Big Performing Arts Workshop. His teaching focuses on the intersections of performance, image, and public art-making, and the ways in which these forms can be used to amplify the voices of a community. When he is not in the classroom, Jacob is the Arts Education Consultant at Creative Directions, where he facilitates programs to integrate the arts into schools.

In addition to his work with youth, Jacob is a professional director and scenic designer, whose work has been seen at theaters such as City Lit, Raven Theatre, the side project, Urban Theatre Company, Buzz22 Chicago, and The Music Theatre Company. He currently serves as an Illinois State Representative for the American Alliance for Theatre & Education and a member of For Youth Inquiry, a collective of artists, educators, and activists committed to engaging youth in safe, accessible conversations about sexual health through participatory theatre.