Arts Education at the Crossroad of Cultures
Arts education should be in a constant process of redefining its scope, goals and processes in a rapidly changing world that is defined by globalization, mobility of cultures and information and communication technologies. This can be achieved through reflective practice whereby educators, arts specialists, and academics can meet to discuss and exchange ideas about the aforementioned issues. The purpose of the conference is to serve as a meeting forum for people who have these issues at the core of their academic or practice work.
We invite contributors to use a variety of forms to communicate their ideas through presentations, workshops, posters, and panel discussions in the following themes:
Themes:
As there are no distinct boundaries between the themes, there are issues that may be discussed under more than one theme. However, contributors, when making their submissions, are encouraged to choose one theme that better matches their submission. They are also encouraged to choose, within that theme, one or more topics that best describe their contribution.
1. Arts and Cultural identities
As it is reported by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA P9 Eurydice, 2009) of the European Union increasing globalization has brought both benefits and challenges, including those arising from increased migration, mobility of cultures, and multiculturalism. Arts and culture education is seen as a means of preparing individuals for their role in an increasingly uncertain world by helping them to develop a secure sense of themselves, both as individuals and members of various groups within society. An indicative list of issues under this theme is mentioned below:
1.1 Arts and heritage
1.2 Individual identity and intercultural understanding
1.3 Diaspora communities and the arts
1.4 Arts and cosmopolitanism
1.5 Museum education
1.6 Local and Global Culture in Arts Education
1.7 Enhancing cultural awareness through arts
2. Arts and society
The importance of social participation and the role arts have to play in social inclusion, development of human competencies for active citizen participation, and, in social transformation is gradually recognized. The topics listed bellow include some of the quality-of-life issues that need to be addressed by educational systems:
2.1 Changing the world: Global visions through arts practices
2.2 Teaching Human Rights through arts education
2.3 Education for Peace: Using arts education to create a peaceful society
2.4 Arts education and ethnic divisions
2.5 Promotion of cultural understanding through arts education
2.6 Arts in communities' cultural development and capacity building
2.7 Building partnerships between the worlds of education and culture
2.8 Visual culture education pedagogy
3. Arts and audiences
In the post-modern era where we are now living we are surrounded by increasingly sophisticated images. Audience development is an important part of our education that aims at fostering increased understanding of the arts. A suggestive list of issues under this theme follows:
3.1 Visual arts and audiences in university level education
3.2 Defining visual arts: what's 'visual' in contemporary society?
3.3 Audiences: do adults understand?
3.4 Virtual and conventional audiences
3.5 Using technology to reach audiences
3.6 Blurring the boundaries between the creator and the audience
4. Learning in and through arts in the 21st century
The role of arts education, in forming competences for life for young people and adults nowadays, has been widely recognized. New competences include more and more information and communication technologies. Contributors are invited to present their ideas regarding the ways arts can be taught within the challenges posed by cultural mobility and information technologies. The following topics are examples of various issues that can be addressed:
4.1 The role of the learner and the teacher
4.2 Learning in and outside school
4.3 Young and older learners
4.4 Arts as participation and interaction
4.5 Multimedia, mixed media and multimodal arts
4.6 New technologies and arts education
4.7 Creative collaborations and partnerships in arts education
4.8 Interdisciplinary learning in arts (visual arts and performing arts)
5. Education policy making and arts
Current developments place new demands on teachers and schools, which require leadership and support at policy level. Under this theme contributors are invited to present issues related to key policy development and continuing professional development. Possible topics could include:
5.1 Arts education policies
5.2 Leadership in arts education
5.3 Policies and implementation
5.4 Politics of arts education
5.5 Curriculum development
5.6 Continuing professional development