UNESCO logoUNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning

Chair in Arts and Learning will host the Canadian Arts and Learning Symposium

 

On October 29, 30, 31, 2008, the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning will host the Canadian Arts and Learning Symposium at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University (Duncan McArthur Hall).

A gathering of stakeholders in arts education from across Canada will meet to discuss and further arts and learning in Canada and to prepare for the next international conference on arts education in Seoul Korea. The main theme will be Network Building within Canadian educational arts communities.  Organizers aim to advocate for and build creative capacity and visibility in arts education in all arts disciplines and at all levels across Canada by creating and strengthening bridges between arts educators,  arts administrators, performers, practitioners, and students.  The following themes will serve as a basis for deliberations and concrete action.

  1. Advocacy for arts education:  This theme will stress the value of cultural and artistic creativity in the post-industrial economy and will focus on issues related to the global context in which we are living and its need for the arts.   It will highlight creative partnerships that exists within our communities and will aim to foster others.
  2. The Impact of Arts Education:  Speakers will present research on those aspects of artistic education which have a special impact on social cohesion and respect for cultural diversity, non-violence, cultural heritage appreciation, improvement of learning achievement, conflict resolution, team work, creative thinking and artistic creativity.
  3. Arts Educational Policies, Programs and Professional Practices:  At issue will be arts educational standards as they relate to policy, curriculum development and both pre-service and in-service education for teachers.  This theme also embraces the need for educational programming for artist-educators.  It will address the need a) to narrow the gap between planned policies and delivery in Arts Education and b) to link arts education efforts to UNESCO’s Education for all.
  4. Organizational Frameworks:  The Canadian Network for Arts and Learning will be launched at the symposium.  This component of the program will provide organizational options to ensure that the network remains open, effective and responsive to the arts and education communities.

The program will include the following elements.

  1. A 3-day format (1:00 PM Wednesday, October 29 to 3:00PM Friday, October 31)
  2. A keynote speaker who will address network building and partnerships.
  3. A web-cast of the opening speeches complemented by an web-based discussion board to engage colleagues who cannot attend the symposium in person.
  4. A video-conference with colleagues in another part of Canada
  5. A plenary session each day featuring panel presentations on the four themes of the symposium.
  6. Simultaneous presentations each day, including: academic papers, poster sessions, round table presentations and workshops.
  7. An artistic program including both professional artists and work by young people.
  8. Reports from  the action plan developed by the National Arts and Learning Symposium in 2007.
  9. A writing committee that will work throughout the symposium , beginning with the initial presentations on networking, gathering input from discussion groups and individuals on the kind of framework the delegates foresee for our network.
  10. A plenary session on October 31 during which the Network will be inaugurated.

Further information on the program and on how to register will be found on the Symposium’s website - eduarts.ca