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The Arts as Education 19
because within the concept of holistic
performance are a large number of areas
that might be diverse in nature, but are
closely linked to each other within as well
as outside the bounds of the art form.
Separating them from each other would
mean removing them from their prime
context. Considered thus, it becomes
essential to recognise an art form’s links
with other subject-areas such as
language, history, geography, sociology,
psychology, philosophy, mathematics
and the sciences. This would, in turn,
take these closer to the performing arts,
without their being considered in the
curriculum as extra-curricular, nonscholastic,
co-scholastic or noncognitive.
While an extra-curricular
activity could be likened to a hobby,
which can be pursued in addition to the
normal curriculum, the word nonscholastic
implies that which does not
help academic achievement and does not
support learning of any high level. It is
ENDNOTES
not involved or related to scholarship.
The word co-scholastic indicates an
added interest that goes also with other
more ‘meaningful’ subjects. Noncognitive
indicates not being fit enough
to be acceptable as supporting, or
facilitating mental action or process of
acquiring knowledge through thought,
experience, and the senses. Thus, to tag
these adjective on to the arts would be a
derogatory act.
It would also be necessary to consider
the difference in concepts such as ‘arts
in education’, ‘arts and education’ and
‘art as education’. One would have also
to go beyond using the arts as simply a
tool for education. While using the arts
as an educational tool might be
productive in conveying a lesson to the
student, care needs to be taken to
prevent the arts from becoming merely a
tool. Art as instrument would have to be
used with adequate precaution, so that
it is not damaged in the process.
1. LORBLANCHET, MICHEL (ed.). 1988. Rock art in the Old World. Papers presented in
Symposium A of the AURA Congress, Darwin (Australia). Indira Gandhi National
Centre for the Arts, New Delhi 1992, p. iii.
2. STITES, RAYMOND S. 1940. The Arts and Man. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
New York. p. 154
3. http://kalarte.com/india/ra-c/ra-ctext.html Kalarte Gallery: India Par
(paintings on cloth) from Rajasthan
The Rajasthani par (sometimes spelled phad) is a painting on cloth that is a
visual accompaniment to a ceremony involving the singing and recitation of
the deeds of folk hero-deities in Rajasthan. Pabuji ki Pars depict exploits from
the life of the folk hero Pabuji Rathor. The legends are painted on long
rectangular cloths that may be 35 feet long by 5 feet wide. The bard-priest
known as bhopa recites incidents describing the exploits of Pabuji from the
epic and is assisted by his wife and son or another person who points to the
scenes on the par about which he is singing.
4. http://www.accu.or.jp/ich/en/arts/A_IND7.html AsiaPacific Database on
Intangible Cultural Heritage Purulia Chhau is a vibrant and powerful folk dance
form with an inclination towards theatre. The use of mask in the dance makes