The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

the Association. This kind of co-operation has great advantagesboth in long-term planning and in enabling quick responcesto immediate issues. It can also facilitate discussionson the dual funding by arts associations and local authoritiesof projects or events where their interests overlap. In the viewof the Arts Council's Senior Education Officer:'When the professional arts are involved in education, adual financial responsibility is ... the pre-requisite formature partnership and the evolution of schemes andprojects which satisfy both of the partners.' (MacDonald,1980,p38)Such funding is not always, nor necessarily, lavish. A localadviser tells of a residential weekend dance course for sixthformers. The authority provided the centre and the teachingstaff but were unable to sponsor a performance by a professionaldance company which the adviser hoped to includein the weekend's programme. In this case a small grant by theregional arts association to support this professional performancewould have had great benefits for those involved.Often, however, arts associations seem reluctant to sponsorsingle events of this type, despite their rewards. Supportingthe appointment of arts/education liaison officers to regionalarts associations is one further, and specific way in which thisprinciple of co-operation, in policy and funding, might beput directly into practice.214 The We have discussed the potential benefits and some of theneed for problems in these schemes. We endorse their value, in prinevaluationciple and consider them to be of great importance withinthe general terms of our arguments for the arts in education.Their success is not automatic, however. There is a need nowfor effective and sustained evaluation. In Chapter 6 wediscussed the need to evaluate the arts in schools in wayswhich were compatible with the experiences in question.Equally, methods of evaluation applied to these schemesmust reflect the nature of the processes involved. The aimmust be to clarify what these visits and residencies actuallyachieve for all involved — children, teachers and artists. Thismust take account of the diversity of interests and responsesand of differences of expectation and of value. The qualityof the work — rather than the numbers taking part — is thecentral criterion here, and the improvement of the work themain point.Some attempts at evaluation are now being made. TheGreater London Arts Association has convened a regularworking group to consider aspects of the Music in Schools125