The role of artistic practices within the school has long been recognized: these are activities through which students can express themselves, their values and their feelings. For more than a year now, the project consortium ArtED works to provide teachers – and therefore also students – of primary and secondary school, guides that can help them to embed artistic practices within the school curriculum.
It has been shown that students who engage in artistic activities – painting, dance, theatre – are better able to express their emotions, have higher self-esteem, better communication skills and are able to work better in groups. If on the one hand many students have begun to practice these activities in extracurricular hours, what to do for all those students whose families cannot face the costs of extracurricular activities?
Through the ArtED project and the guides for teachers, parents and tutors, we want to provide the possibility for these students to experiment within their class group different artistic practices, ranging from the Theatre of the Oppressed to creative writing.
These activities are essential for the inner development of students and allow to considerably reduce the episodes of early school leaving. Everyone is given the opportunity to explore their expressive abilities and talents. Within the group a non-judgmental atmosphere is built, a safe space, in the belief that everyone can do their best in relation to their possibilities and their experience.
The ArtED project consortium met in Reykjavìk on 27 and 28 April to plan the next steps and experiment with new artistic practices to be proposed to teachers and students. We reflected on the importance of face-to-face meetings for our well-being, understanding and sense of community. It’s no surprise, but it’s worth reminding ourselves that these are the areas of learning that have been lost during COVID and that we aim to bring back into education through the creative arts.
For more information on the ArtEd project or to collaborate with us, write an email to Martina Romano at martina.romano@cesie.org
About the project
ArtEd – Developing creative learning opportunities for young people across Europe is a project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme that began in November 2020 and was coordinated by Tom Dobson and Lisa Stephenson from Carnegie School of Education, Leeds Beckett University (https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/ ).
Partners
- LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY (UK, coordinator)
- CESIE (Italy)
- HASKOLI ISLANDS (Islanda)
- WORLD UNIVERSITY SERVICE-OSTERREICHISCHES KOMITEE VEREIN (Austria)
- STIMMULI FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (Greece)
- Interplay Theatre Trust (UK)
- Young Arts Neukölln e.V. (Germany)
For further information
Read more about ArtEd, visit the website www.arted-eu.org and follow us on Twitter.
Contact Martina Romano: martina.romano@cesie.org.
