The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

102by professional musicians, many of whom hold positionsin the London orchestras and! music colleges. Not allauthorities have shown an understanding of the valuablecontribution which private teachers can make nor takenthe necessary steps to develop an effective liaisonbetween the maintained and non-maintained sectors ofeducation in this area.b A broad interpretation is needed of the concept of arts.'Art and Design' within the ILEA, for example, includesnot only the mainly practical, autonomous imagemakingin art, but also cultural and media studies,design education, and art in the built environment towhich the encouragement of mural paintings on exteriorwalls makes an important contribution.e Encouragement must be given to a broad range of out-ofschoolactivities from the provision of school spacesfor band rehearsals to support for outside agenciesoffering specialist opportunities (such as the MerseysideVisual Communications Unit) to the development ofimportant school or county performing groups, or thesupport of comparable ventures in photography or inliterature.d Local achievements need further stimulation by beingmatched against others of like character. The NationalYouth Theatre, National Youth Orchestra, NationalFestival of Youth Dance and so on can flourish onlyto the extent that they receive support from youngtalents, their parents and their local authorities. Thisapplies equally to international festivals.e There is a clear need here for co-operative action. Bythis we mean the development of a real, rather thannotional, co-operation between the primary and secondarylevels of education and between the public andprivate sectors. This could mean, for example, thatthe art resources of secondary schools be made availableto help children in neighbouring primary schools (seeChapter 9) or that specialists from the private sectorcould be called in to help the gifted at primary orsecondary level. It would mean a greater willingness toorganise special part-time classes and activities forgifted and talented pupils, given by teachers from themaintained or non-maintained sectors, whicheverappeared best for the pupil. It might also mean a greateruse of peripatetic teachers, the establishment of 'skillbanks' and the cataloguing by the local authorities ofthe human and material resources, public and private,available within their communities for deployment inthe interests of their children.