Art shapes
As parents, teachers and artists working with children, we often unconsciously perpetuate the old belief that artists are geniuses and only artists are creative, that you can be creative only if you are naturally gifted and things come easy. Art is fun, not really for learning.
On the other hand, school should be serious and studying must be hard if it is to do you good. We equate difficulty with virtue and art with fooling around, because we are the product of that very educational system. The same system we point to as being responsible for suffocating children’s creative energy.
Art to Heart regularly works with teachers in both primary and secondary schools as part of cross-curriculum art and literacy programmes.
We are part of a wider debate that sees more and more teachers and art practitioners who work with children, coming to a new understanding. An understanding that says new steps need to be taken in pushing forward the arts in the education agenda.
New steps also need to be taken in exchanging information and in researching and piloting best practices.
Learning Through Arts Programme
The Learning Through Arts Programme is the Department of Education & Science Junior Cycle Programme delivered in a creative and dynamic way through the arts.
Students on the programme work with professional artists spanning all art forms and develop core curriculum topics in school as well as in professional theatres, galleries, design studios and dance centres.
From 2003 to 2009, Jole Bortoli worked in Larkin Community College, a second level school in the heart of Dublin, with the students and subject teachers as ‘artist in the classroom’. Students enjoyed making the creative connections between the various subjects as well as designing and producing specific arts projects.
Sanctuary for Youth Programme
Sanctuary for Youth is a programme designed to encourage and assist young people with their human development and complements many aspect of the school curriculum and community youth activity programmes. It is based on meditation and creativity and encourages young people to find, build and experience a place of sanctuary within and around themselves.
