Book 22

Education and the Arts

by Beth Dickson

Published 1 January 2011

Education and the Arts take a broad look at the policy and theoretical contexts of education and the arts, particularly in the context of Scotland's innovative Curriculum for Excellence. How do the arts and education interact? What is arts education and what it is for? Tensions exist between process and product: is arts education intended to produce artists; is it a means of producing audiences; or another way to motivate learners? What does 'creativity' mean and how do current definitions impact on curricular practice in arts subjects and in subjects not traditionally linked with the arts? In a wide ranging review of the issues and tensions of contemporary policy and practice Beth Dickson offers a distinctive analysis of arts education, its purpose and its role. Education and the Arts will appeal to students, teachers and policy-makers concerned with the role of arts education.