The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
cation and community work following such an appointment.Their activities now include practical workshops at theGallery; the use of teacher-guides for specific exhibitions;and the mounting of exhibitions which are of particularinterest to the local community, for example, the recentArts of Bengal exhibition. The Gallery also arranges meetingswith teachers to discuss how it can best be used as aresource.189 Arts There has been a remarkable proliferation of arts centrescentres throughout Britain. According to one estimate 8 there arenow over 150 of these ranging from custom-built suitesof studios and galleries to converted premises comprisingperhaps a small theatre and exhibition space. Arts centresvary enormously in size and also in funding, organisation andpolicy. The Cockpit in London, for example, is fundedentirely by the ILEA and employs four education teams whowork, through different art forms, in local schools, at theCockpit, in local institutions and in youth centres. Hampshirehas a network of local drama centres which are maintainedby the local education authority, and so on. All thecentres aim to provide a focus and a resource for local artsactivities, through space and facilities for practical work andmeetings, as well as to attract artists to perform and exhibittheir work.190 Other There are many other schemes, often organised by regionalschemes arts associations, involving painters, video artists, sculptors,photographers and film-makers. In Devon, for example,through consultations with the Visual Arts Officer forSouth-West Arts, a number of artists have been placed indifferent schools for a year at a time. These have included:'— a designer of musical instruments to work in a secondarymodern school where musical input was urgentlyrequired— an intellectual 'systems' painter to a grammar schoolwhere he made particular contact with staff in the scienceand mathematics departments— a printmaker to a school attempting to develop newareas of work in printmaking— a painter to a school where work is based on similarsource material to that used by the artist— three craftsmen in wood — including a wood-turner andtoymaker — to tour and provide demonstrations to threedifferent craft departments'In theory, there is no limit to the variations in these115
schemes. The Arvon Foundation, for example, takes childrenout of school for residential courses at one of two centres inDevon and Yorkshire. Here they can work for a week withpublished writers, discussing each other's work in an informalbut intensive atmosphere. Youth and Music organise subsidisedperformances for 14—25 year olds: an audience that includeschildren at school. Some regional organisers of Youth andMusic have arranged projects specifically for schools, includingone with the composer Trevor Wishart. The final piece,Passion, involved 800 children in four performances.Orchestras and smaller groups have a long tradition ofschool performances. Although some of these are nowbeing affected by economies, the Hall6 Orchestra, the NorthernSinfonia, the Oxford Pro Musica, the Guilford Philharmonicand the Apollo Trust are among those hoping to developthese activities. The Contemporary Music Network providedby the Arts Council also encourages visits and workshops inschools by contemporary composers and musicians.191 Mutual There is then a wide range of attempts to bring togetherbenefits the professional arts and education. The value of this isnot obvious to everyone. The Principal of a London Polytechnicrecently received a letter from the Chairman of alocal business which read:'I see the local tech. has appointed a poet in residence.Such gross waste of rate-payers' money on inessentialsand unnecessary frills should be instantly stopped and Ilook to you to ensure that they concentrate on theirtask in future.'So far from being 'frills', if the arts are essential to education— as we maintain they are — such schemes can haveprime importance for schools. It must be stressed that thebenefits here are not just for children but for teachers andartists too. What are these benefits?192 Benefits Working with professional artists can benefit pupils in threefor pupils: ways: in improving skills, attitudes and understanding,skillsDance, drama, music, literature and the visual arts callon a huge variety of specialist skills in the many media andforms of expression that they use. No school, however largeits staff, can hope to provide expert help and advice in allof these. Visiting artists can give pupils the benefit of specialistskills in, for example, ethnic arts, ballet, lithography etcwhich would not otherwise be available to them.193 Attitudes Working with artists can affect children's attitudes to the arts116
- Page 81 and 82: Second, integration can mean many t
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- Page 89 and 90: FIGURE 2SHEPSHEDCOMMUNITYCOLLEGEope
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- Page 95 and 96: 78literature and put money and reso
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- Page 113 and 114: 1%—2% of the school population
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- Page 139 and 140: 207 The role The rple of the teache
- Page 141 and 142: to be essential to the future devel
- Page 143 and 144: scheme. The Charlotte Mason College
- Page 145 and 146: d education is something that only
- Page 147 and 148: iture. It does require a different
- Page 149 and 150: 225 Initial Initial and post-initia
- Page 151 and 152: Germany 18% of the workforce has be
- Page 153 and 154: outes for the visual arts. In parti
- Page 155 and 156: at the centre on a regular basis. T
- Page 157 and 158: potential. The exceptional situatio
- Page 159 and 160: We have developed our arguments in
- Page 161 and 162: wherever possible, co-ordinate the
- Page 163 and 164: AppendixOur arguments in this repor
- Page 165 and 166: Evening classes range from life-dra
- Page 167 and 168: to work with them. CSE groups with
- Page 169 and 170: from other schools to watch two lec
- Page 171 and 172: the cost). Groups of children have
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- Page 175 and 176: BibliographyAdvisory Council for Ad
- Page 177 and 178: Kerr, J F 1968 Changing the Curricu
- Page 179 and 180: NotesThe Issues1 For a description
- Page 181 and 182: the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenste
schemes. <strong>The</strong> Arvon <strong>Foundation</strong>, for example, takes childrenout of school for residential courses at one of two centres <strong>in</strong>Devon and Yorkshire. Here they can work for a week withpublished writers, discuss<strong>in</strong>g each other's work <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>formalbut <strong>in</strong>tensive atmosphere. Youth and Music organise subsidisedperformances for 14—25 year olds: an audience that <strong>in</strong>cludeschildren at school. Some regional organisers of Youth andMusic have arranged projects specifically for schools, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>gone with the composer Trevor Wishart. <strong>The</strong> f<strong>in</strong>al piece,Passion, <strong>in</strong>volved 800 children <strong>in</strong> four performances.Orchestras and smaller groups have a long tradition ofschool performances. Although some of these are nowbe<strong>in</strong>g affected by economies, the Hall6 Orchestra, the NorthernS<strong>in</strong>fonia, the Oxford Pro Musica, the Guilford Philharmonicand the Apollo Trust are among those hop<strong>in</strong>g to developthese activities. <strong>The</strong> Contemporary Music Network providedby the <strong>Arts</strong> Council also encourages visits and workshops <strong>in</strong>schools by contemporary composers and musicians.191 Mutual <strong>The</strong>re is then a wide range of attempts to br<strong>in</strong>g togetherbenefits the professional arts and education. <strong>The</strong> value of this isnot obvious to everyone. <strong>The</strong> Pr<strong>in</strong>cipal of a London Polytechnicrecently received a letter from the Chairman of alocal bus<strong>in</strong>ess which read:'I see the local tech. has appo<strong>in</strong>ted a poet <strong>in</strong> residence.Such gross waste of rate-payers' money on <strong>in</strong>essentialsand unnecessary frills should be <strong>in</strong>stantly stopped and Ilook to you to ensure that they concentrate on theirtask <strong>in</strong> future.'So far from be<strong>in</strong>g 'frills', if the arts are essential to education— as we ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> they are — such schemes can haveprime importance for schools. It must be stressed that thebenefits here are not just for children but for teachers andartists too. What are these benefits?192 Benefits Work<strong>in</strong>g with professional artists can benefit pupils <strong>in</strong> threefor pupils: ways: <strong>in</strong> improv<strong>in</strong>g skills, attitudes and understand<strong>in</strong>g,skillsDance, drama, music, literature and the visual arts callon a huge variety of specialist skills <strong>in</strong> the many media andforms of expression that they use. No school, however largeits staff, can hope to provide expert help and advice <strong>in</strong> allof these. Visit<strong>in</strong>g artists can give pupils the benefit of specialistskills <strong>in</strong>, for example, ethnic arts, ballet, lithography etcwhich would not otherwise be available to them.193 Attitudes Work<strong>in</strong>g with artists can affect children's attitudes to the arts116
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