The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation The Arts in Schools - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
29 The Finally we come to an argument which is rarely made forhumanity the arts but which seems to us to be clearly implied by whatof the arts we have said so far. This is the potential of the arts fordeveloping a sense of excellence and quality that can transforman individual's expectations of him/herself. This arisesin part from the qualities of discipline, dedication andattention to detail that are called for in the skilful exerciseof the arts. One has only to watch an artist at work in painting,composing, sculpting or rehearsing to know the truth of this.There are of course moral judgements here. In advocatingthe arts we have in mind a style of education which is becomingincreasingly needed: one which values the ideas of width,diversity and personal autonomy; where the outcomes aimedat are the welfare and the well-being of individuals and thedevelopment of their capacity for autonomous choice sothat they can, of their own free will and informed judgement,decide on what a worthwhile life for them will be.Certainly schools have responsibilities in preparing childrenand young people for later life. But this is not a simplematter of coaching them for academic qualifications. Thearts can help to improve the quality of life for the individual.They can also be a powerful force in promoting inter-personaland international understanding. Tolstoy remarked that:'Through the influence of real art, aided by science, guidedby religion, that peaceful co-operation of man which isnow maintained by external means . .. should be obtainedby man's free and joyous activity.' (Tolstoy, 1930)Amid the great cultural upheavals of the contemporaryworld, schools have vital roles in promoting adaptability to,and understanding of, the values and beliefs of others. Aswe argue in Chapter 3, in looking at cultural education, thepractice and appreciation of the arts can become key elementsin this.30 Ends and It is here that we come full circle. Technical and industrialmeans efficiency of which there is, now, considerable talk, is onlyworthwhile when seen for what it is: an indispensable preconditionfor the achievement of those ends that are thereal joys and values of a tolerable and civilised way of life.These go far beyond the demands of the production lineand the Financial Times Index.In looking at the value of any activities, we can distinguishat least two sorts: first, those that are absolutely worthwhilein themselves; second, those that are worthwhile only insofaras they help to bring these other things about. Many of theactivities which are demanded as basic elements of the27
school curriculum fall into this second class of value. Theyhave an instrumental value in acquiring things that arevalued in themselves. The activities of the arts fall into thefirst class. They are absolutely worthwhile spending time onfor the sake of satisfactions that are intrinsic to them. Themore far-sighted industrialists and politicians realised thislong ago. 6 The successes of the Workers' Education Association,of Miners' and Mechanics' Institutes, of Adult Educationand of such places as Ruskin College further illustratethis view: that in abandoning the arts, we should be abandoningboth our heritage and our future and putting even furtherat risk the whole quality of community life. A recent editorialin the Times Educational Supplement was even moreemphatic:'Art in all its forms has been since time immemorial themeans by which humans keep up their collective spiritsand make sense of each other and of their world. A humanand intelligently conceived arts education, shading off ina medley of other directions while retaining its own inalienablecharacter, is something whose value only thebigoted or the very stupid could deny.' (TES, 6th February,1981)31 Summary In this chapter, we have argued that the arts are importantways of knowing the world and of interpreting our experiencesin it. Their inclusion in the school curriculum is anobligation of general education. We have also argued thatthis is morally desirable. Moreover, the arts are part of thefabric of our culture and civilisation and a knowledge andunderstanding of them is essential on these grounds too. Wehave emphasised that 'doing' the arts is as important asappreciating the work of others and we have challenged theidea that 'excellence' is exclusively related to any particulartype of art. We have discounted the tendency to dichotomisearts and sciences and emphasised the complementary relationshipsbetween different ways of knowing. The arts arecrucial elements in a balanced curriculum: not more norless, but certainly as important as other forms of knowledge.We have concluded by arguing that the arts also enrichthe life of individuals and the social culture and this isimportant as an end in itself. Throughout this chapter wehave referred to the idea of creativity in the arts and inother areas of activity. In the next chapter we look at this inmore detail and draw out its implications for the wholecurriculum.28
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29 <strong>The</strong> F<strong>in</strong>ally we come to an argument which is rarely made forhumanity the arts but which seems to us to be clearly implied by whatof the arts we have said so far. This is the potential of the arts fordevelop<strong>in</strong>g a sense of excellence and quality that can transforman <strong>in</strong>dividual's expectations of him/herself. This arises<strong>in</strong> part from the qualities of discipl<strong>in</strong>e, dedication andattention to detail that are called for <strong>in</strong> the skilful exerciseof the arts. One has only to watch an artist at work <strong>in</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g,compos<strong>in</strong>g, sculpt<strong>in</strong>g or rehears<strong>in</strong>g to know the truth of this.<strong>The</strong>re are of course moral judgements here. In advocat<strong>in</strong>gthe arts we have <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d a style of education which is becom<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly needed: one which values the ideas of width,diversity and personal autonomy; where the outcomes aimedat are the welfare and the well-be<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>in</strong>dividuals and thedevelopment of their capacity for autonomous choice sothat they can, of their own free will and <strong>in</strong>formed judgement,decide on what a worthwhile life for them will be.Certa<strong>in</strong>ly schools have responsibilities <strong>in</strong> prepar<strong>in</strong>g childrenand young people for later life. But this is not a simplematter of coach<strong>in</strong>g them for academic qualifications. <strong>The</strong>arts can help to improve the quality of life for the <strong>in</strong>dividual.<strong>The</strong>y can also be a powerful force <strong>in</strong> promot<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>ter-personaland <strong>in</strong>ternational understand<strong>in</strong>g. Tolstoy remarked that:'Through the <strong>in</strong>fluence of real art, aided by science, guidedby religion, that peaceful co-operation of man which isnow ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed by external means . .. should be obta<strong>in</strong>edby man's free and joyous activity.' (Tolstoy, 1930)Amid the great cultural upheavals of the contemporaryworld, schools have vital roles <strong>in</strong> promot<strong>in</strong>g adaptability to,and understand<strong>in</strong>g of, the values and beliefs of others. Aswe argue <strong>in</strong> Chapter 3, <strong>in</strong> look<strong>in</strong>g at cultural education, thepractice and appreciation of the arts can become key elements<strong>in</strong> this.30 Ends and It is here that we come full circle. Technical and <strong>in</strong>dustrialmeans efficiency of which there is, now, considerable talk, is onlyworthwhile when seen for what it is: an <strong>in</strong>dispensable preconditionfor the achievement of those ends that are thereal joys and values of a tolerable and civilised way of life.<strong>The</strong>se go far beyond the demands of the production l<strong>in</strong>eand the F<strong>in</strong>ancial Times Index.In look<strong>in</strong>g at the value of any activities, we can dist<strong>in</strong>guishat least two sorts: first, those that are absolutely worthwhile<strong>in</strong> themselves; second, those that are worthwhile only <strong>in</strong>sofaras they help to br<strong>in</strong>g these other th<strong>in</strong>gs about. Many of theactivities which are demanded as basic elements of the27
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