Articles/research on the impact of the arts on students, teachers and, well, everyone. Come across any interesting articles? Send it to us to upload! info@showsforschools.com.au
Have you read Creative Australia - National Cultural Policy yet? We welcome your comments on our Facebook Page!
“The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.” Michelle Obama. Yes!!- Ed.
“Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it'll spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein
What sort of education is it without the arts? Half baked! Check out this terrific animation from The Right Brain Project in the States.
Report on using music to change the outcomes of kids in juvenile detention in the States MAY THE SONGS I HAVE WRITTEN SPEAK FOR ME.
Great Article on Teaching Creativity by Brian D Cohen http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-d-cohen/arts-education_b_1084498.html. Starts with the Paul Klee quote "Genius is an error in the system" . enjoy.
This is brilliant! Check out the UK Cultural Learning Alliance case for cultural learning ImagineNation http://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/page.aspx?p=100 It's an advocacy document for teachers and arts professionals to use to build their advocacy arguments, based on international research
As teachers assess the new Draft Arts Curriculum and we wait for the outcome of the National Cultural Policy, have a look at this UK program of cultural education, Cultural Hubs. The evaluation showed the impacts on learners, schools and arts organisations. A few years old now, but fascinating for us in an area where research is limited! Here's the report- http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication_archive/cultural-hubs-programme-2005-2008-evaluation-report (with thanks to Fiona Forrest for sending both the above)
Thanks to - Emily Atkins, Education Manager, RAV and Sharon Maine, Education Co Ordinator, Drum Theatre who have contributed many of the articles.
Sharon Maine Emily Atkins
Launched at 2012 YPAA Symposium in Sydney in July - the TheatreSpace Project or "Accessing the Cultural Conversation" Report. Great study over 4 years , 21 case studies in 3 states by academics from Melbourne, Griffith and Sydney Unis looking at what attracts young people as theatre audiences. Interesting the loss of facilitators (teachers, parents, friends)post schooling is recognized as an important reason for non-attendance at theatre. www.theatrespace.org.au
From ACARA’s Shape of the ‘Australian Curriculum: The Arts’ [released October, 2011]
‘The Arts industry complements the Arts provision for young people in schools, through programs, partnerships and by increasingly providing specialist services for schools, as appropriate. This includes enriching and complementing the curriculum through experiences such as visiting performances, demonstrations and exhibitions, artists in residence, teacher professional development and access for students and teachers to specialised facilities in galleries, halls, theatres and other arts venues.’ (sent in by Sharon Maine)
There's a great raison d'etre for Shows For Schools. Ed.
Do schools kill creativity? Brilliant speech from Sir Ken Robinson in 2006. Still love it!
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
The Arts and Australian Education: Realising Potential by Professor Robyn Ewing
This fascinating paper is a must read - starting at the foreward by John O'Toole, lead writer for The Arts in the National Curriculum. On the impact of attending a live performances, Ewing quotes a South Australian study "children clearly saw the links between a live arts performance and their own lives, developing a distinct understanding of audience, actors and directors that surprised their own teachers and parents...the children demonstrated marked improvement in literacy...became more critically aware, developing a deeper understanding of their world and their role within it. Their teachers in turn, were inspired to extend their own knowledge, experience and appreciation of performance"...
http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/AER-58.pdf
What is government policy ??The Joint Ministerial Statement on Education and the Arts (2007) is the most important national policy document . Check it out http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Education_Arts_Statement.pdf
The arts improve learning
"Teachers reported that students attempted more test items in state-wide benchmark tests for literacy… staff perceived this as evidence that arts-based teaching and learning contributed to students' increased confidence to attempt unfamiliar tasks"
A Pedagogy of Trust: Improving Educational Outcomes through Partnerships, NT Department of Employment, Education and Training *
"Recent work on innovation across the economy suggests that it is precisely the habits associated with artistic creativity that are a vital, if neglected, element of current innovation policy"
- Educating for the Creative Workforce: Rethinking Arts and Education, ARC Centre of Excellence *
The active engagement of students in arts education programs has the potential to improve performance and learning across the curriculum. It is a particularly powerful tool for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and can have a positive effect on school retention rates and affect attitudes to learning that last a lifetime"
- Creative Capacity +, Arts Victoria*
The Case For The Arts
http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC27/Oddlfson.htm
By cutting back on the arts to strengthen their basic core curricula, schools may be taking a giant leap backwards. If by now you haven’t concluded that the arts are a crucial part of any effort to reinvigorate learning, Eric Oddleifson will convince you. Eric is the President of The Center for Arts in the Basic Curriculum, an association whose agenda is clear. Not only do they believe art education will enhance the traditional curriculum; they believe “the arts should be the basis of education” because “the deepest and most lasting learning is participatory and whole-brained. This is precisely what the arts offer.” North American
New thinking, new approaches for teachers too
"When creative practitioners initially set up situations that are designed primarily to engineer 'cognitive conflict' so that pupils are forced to think 'out of the box' teachers are often concerned about the lack of structure which they fear will result in an unacceptable performance"
- Creative Practitioners in Schools and Classrooms, University of Cambridge *
"Creative partnerships increase awareness of educational issues and can … invigorate and revitalise teachers, providing fresh perspectives on diverse learning styles and creative ways to help more students reach higher levels of achievement"
- National Education and the Arts Statement, MCEETYA*
Kids dig the arts for good reason!
Arts partnerships in education can influence students' generic social skills with studies providing evidence that students regard arts participation as fostering personal growth, group skills and social cohesion"
- Partnerships between schools and the professional arts sector, DEECD and Arts Victoria *
Professional artists inspire
"Students indicated that they respected working with a talented artist who provided a vision of 'something they could aspire to' – this was particularly evident with Indigenous participants"
- Impact of Arts Education Programmes on Student Motivation, University of WA *
*contributed by Emily Atkins, Program Co ordinator arts2GO, Regional Arts Victoria
Evaluation of School-based Arts Education Programmes in Australian Schools
http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/publications_resources/profiles/evaluation_school_based_arts_programmes.htm
This report presents evaluations of four Australian school-based arts programmes.
the Arts - Champions of Change
http://artsedge.kennedy-centre.org/champions/pdfs/ChampsReport.pdf
The indepth report on the impact of the arts on learning.American
The Arts and Education: New Opportunities for Research
http://aep-arts.org/files/publications/OpportunitiesResearch.pdf
U.S. Research into arts and education and the implications for the intellectual, personal and social development of children and it’s potential role in our collective pursuit of educational and social goals.
Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development
http://aep-arts.org/files/publications/CriticalLinks.pdf
A group of studies focused on understanding the cognitive capacities developed in learning and practicing the arts and the relationship of those capacities to students’ academic performance and social development. American
Arts Programs for At Risk Youth
http://www.americansforthearts.org/youtharts/about/
Using the arts to assist at-risk youth. Clear layout, strong arguments, amazing and inspiring youth arts programs.
The Creative Community
http://www.smartcommunities.org/creative/CreativeCommBroFINAL.pdf
Forging the links between Art, Culture, Commerce and Community.
