Lets Get Serious: Arts Education
“ The arts and humanities define who we are as a people. That is their power -- to remind us of what we each have to offer, and what we all have in common. To help us understand our history and imagine our future. To give us hope in the moments of struggle and to bring us together when nothing else will.” ~ First Lady Michelle Obama
My twenty-one year old son John is graduating from a Performing Arts Program at Red Deer College (Red Deer, Alberta) on June 3rd. One of the most common questions asked of him during his two years of study has been "... So what are you going to do with a Performing Arts diploma?" As a mother (and teacher), I get asked that question all the time, along with "Will he get a real job with a Performing Arts diploma?" or "Are you going to have to support him until he finds a way to make a real living?" Pretty discouraging questions.
Watching John work his way through this very demanding program has opened my eyes about the unique ways this unconventional learning route develops a young person who is brave enough to navigate through the negative mind sets attached to those enrolled in a Liberal Arts or Performing Arts program. I've seen his thinking ability and communication skills developed in unbelievable ways along with his ability to read body language, play the role of a blind soldier in 1918 (Unity 1918), become a team player and develop a self awareness well beyond his years . I've watched a boy who hated reading have a reason to read Dante's Inferno because he was using it as the underpinnings of a play he wrote and directed.
It's because of all of this that I took special delight today to learn that tomorrow evening the White House will be hosting a celebration of poetry and prose. During this special event, President and Mrs Obama will welcome poets, musicians and artists who will "read, sing and showcase the impact of poetry on American culture". Of special interest to me was Michelle Obama's part in the evening- a time when she will share the robust data that emerged from The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities report (PCAH), a body of evidence (see the report below) that reveals that the United States proud history of creativity and innovation is in jeopardy unless we prepare the next generation to be the inventor, creators and designers of the future. The PCAH report uncovers research findings linked to learning and makes five serious recommendations that will hopefully raise the profile of Arts in Education and the respect for those whose special abilities enable them to contribute to their world through art, music, drama and writing. Be sure to check out the PCAH web site.
