Undertaking arts activities in the classroom can be fun but daunting. Kids love making and doing things but it can sometimes be a headache for teachers. The activities can take longer than expected and there is always a mess to clear up.
New thinking across the world is pointing to the high value of the arts in education. How encouraging creativity in our children gives them more confidence in all areas of life, not just in the classroom.
A report from the United States called 'Champions of Change – The Impact of the Arts on Learning' has found learners can attain higher levels of achievement through engagement with the arts. Learning in and through the arts can particularly help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Many arts programs engage artists to work with young people and their teachers, either as a residency in a school or centred around an out of school experience – such as at ArtPlay. Musicians, performers, painters and printmakers work on programs where children are real collaborators in the creative process. Since its opening, more than 10,000 children have experienced ArtPlay.
Surprisingly, one key to this encounter is the notion of play. The act of being creative has a great parallel with simple playing. This element of play is vital in encouraging creativity in children. The value of play is proven with young children but once they start to learn through a formal curriculum, play, along with the value of arts, seems to drop off the agenda.
Artists are great role models of people who think differently. Encouraging children to “think outside the box”, although challenging, promotes a healthy culture of empathy and tolerance. Enabling children to work alongside artists can provide all the benefits of improving the learning environment across the curriculum as well as being fun for all involved.
Encouraging children to be creative just might have a greater contribution to society that you imagine. Taking kids to galleries is great, but enabling them to work with real live artists is where the real benefit lies. Combine the two and you could be providing a magical experience for your class.