Art Classes... Dance Classes... Drama Classes... why do they matter?

or The importance of creation in recreation!

By Julie Hartley  Dec 2005

 

As the arts become increasingly minimised in the school curriculum, more and
more parents are seeking out alternative ways to encourage their children to
participate in creative activities. But why is an education in the arts so
important? Here are some points to consider...

 

Young People who Explore the Arts do Better Academically

Edward B Fiske, one of the leading educational researchers in the US, points out that "students with high levels of arts participation outperform 'arts-poor' students" . In US studies, while children who receive structured enrichment outside the classroom outperform children who do not, it has also been shown that children who are enriched through the arts outperform those enriched through other activities - such as community involvement, travel and sports. The academic benefit of the arts have been proven again and again, yet funding for the arts in schools has declined, putting the onus on parents to provide for this part of a child's education. The arts also constitute an alternative learning environment for young people who find it hard to learn in other ways.

Young People are Empowered through Arts Involvement

The arts provide a safe and powerful way for young people to take control of their lives and their selves. We're all familiar with negative forms of self-empowerment - drug abuse, inappropriate relationships, rebelling against authority and so on. Through the arts, young people find a vehicle for self expression that is much more life-affirming. Whether creating theatre on a subject they feel passionate about, holding an audience rapt during a concert or reflecting their feelings in poetry, young artists discover they can make an impact upon their world. The arts are a powerful tool for personal and social transformation.

The Arts Promote Self Esteem and Self-Actualization

The arts are all about the act of creation. When we create something - whether a painting, or a dance, or a character on stage - we see evidence of our own individuality and we learn more about our personality and our potential. When young people learn to assert and celebrate their selves, they are less likely to be victims of bullies, or to bow to peer pressure instead of standing up for what they feel is right.

The Arts Teach Children the Importance of Community

'Team' creation demonstrates the positive power of the group - in a world where the negative power wielded by groups of young people is far more evident. When we look for ways to show our young people the value of community, and how enriched our lives become when we contribute to a community - then we ensure the future health of all our communities.

The Arts Teach Compassion and Empathy

When we write a story, sing a song or play a character, we are forced to step inside someone else's shoes and walk around in them for a while. Young people who do this are much more likely to respond compassionately to people whose lives are different from their own. The imagination makes 'difference' - whether based on gender, sexual orientation, race, culture or any other factor - less frightening. When we teach young people to celebrate difference, they are less likely to be bullies, and more likely to be advocates for one another.

The Arts Encouragement Investment in the Future

Too many young people fail to see they can shape the world they will live in once they are older. This stunted imaginative capacity - and lack of hope - is dangerous. If we don't believe in our future, we have no reason to work towards it. When young people imagine a better world, they are in a better position to help create it. When they imagine solutions to their problems and personal challenges, they are more likely to combat them.

More Arts = Better Communication Skills

Not only do theatre and creative writing teach young people to adapt language to meet a variety of hypothetical needs, but the arts provide our youth with alternate vehicles of expression that can often be much more powerful. The arts are a reflection of the world we live in, so when young people engage in the arts they learn to look critically at the world around them, and to ask questions: rather than to blindly accept what they encounter. When we look at a painting, or read a poem, or listen to a profoundly moving piece of music, we are forced to think deeply about our world, and what it means to be human. We need to encourage young people to think deeply, and to articulate complex philosophical processes. Responsible, intelligent citizens question; they do not blindly accept. Our 'me first' consumer society encourages a much more superficial approach to life.

It's Obvious, but... The Arts Develop Our Creative Skills

Creativity is essential to so many aspects of life - from everyday problem solving to almost every conceivable career. Many businesses recruit arts graduates on the premise that while business skills can be taught, creativity can't. We must constantly nurture our own creative potential for it to thrive.
 

Creative Exploration Enhances Life

A few years back at our camp, I met a 12 year old who was determined to be a lawyer. She loved art. At the end of her two weeks at camp she said she still wanted to be a lawyer, but "a lawyer who paints". She had discovered that whatever her career choice, she needed creative expression in order to 'feel rich inside'. Children need help to discover this. Often the arts are used therapeutically, to help heal those of us experiencing depression, or grief, or illness. The therapeutic value of creative expression is evident even in those of us not experiencing enormous life problems. The arts can help a young person express and tackle their own personal challenges. They act as a stress relief, and provide an outlet for strong feelings they may have trouble articulating.. Often, a young person learns through the arts how to reach out to others... either to look for help, or offer it.

The Arts Teach Self Discipline

A student who commits to be in a performance, or a concert, must see the project through to the end. To create high quality work requires repetitive rehearsal, which requires discipline. Young people learn hard work, respect for authority, and stamina. They learn to put others before themselves, by staying loyal to the project even when the going gets tough. They discover the sense of achievement that comes of dedicating yourself to one thing, and making it the best it can be.
 

And of Course... The Arts can Provide a Career!

Let's not forget that, unlikely as it may seem, vast numbers of people make their living in the arts. This includes not only supremely talented writers, artists, dancers, actors (and your child could be one of them), but others who carve a niche for themselves doing what they love. The arts are big business in Canada and in the States.

 

By Julie Hartley

Julie Hartley is one of the directors of Centauri Summer Arts Camp (www.centauriartscamp.com). Centauri is an overnight camp in the Niagara Region of Ontario, offering intensive arts training in 40 different arts specialties for youth aged 9-18. For permission to use this article in part or whole, please contact Julie at julie@centauriartscamp.com