What are the values of expressive arts activities in primary education?


The term ‘Arts in Education’ refers to a complementary relationship between the arts and education sector and the practitioners within them, which is designed to enhance learners personal, interpersonal and academic development (Smith, 2013). The Expressive Arts are proposed as one of six areas of ‘learning and experience’ in Professor Donaldson’s Review of the Education Curriculum in Wales (Donaldson, 2015). Donaldson (2015) devised this with the intention that it will encourage children to develop their creativity and ability to perform with confidence.

The Expressive Arts curriculum area includes art and design, dance, drama and music. (Education Scotland, 2018; Levine & Levine, 2011). Expressive Arts and Design involves supporting children to explore with a wide range of materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology (Optimus Education, 2011).  According to King and Schwabenlender (1994), allowing children to be expressive provides them with a sense of empowerment, because children are encouraged to express their emotions constructively’ (p 13).

St Johns (2019) says that by engaging in experiences within the expressive arts, children and young people will recognise and represent feelings and emotions, both their own and those of others. The expressive arts play a central role in shaping our sense of our personal, social and cultural identity. Professor Dai Smith (2013) proposed ‘it is clear…that countries across the world recognise the significance and potential of the arts in enabling improved educational, social and economic outcomes’ (Smith, 2013).

The expressive arts provide inspiration and motivation as they bring children and young people into contact with the creative processes, performances and products of others and stimulate their own experimentation and creativity (Meehan, 2015). The inspiration and power of the arts play a vital role in enabling our children and young people to enhance their creative talent and develop their artistic kills. By engaging in experiences within expressive arts, children and young people will recognise and represent feeling and emotions, both their own and those of others (Education Scotland, 2018). The Welsh Government (2017) suggest that through expressive arts, learners will be able to explore and experience historical events, time periods and society, both locally and in the wider world so that they can gain an understanding of themselves and others. Expressive arts will enrich their lives through developing empathy, tolerance and an appreciation of the importance of all cultures.

Arts in Education in the Schools in Wales, which described ‘the arts’ as including the making, performance, expression or appreciation of one or more of: music; drama; dance; film and digital media; visual arts and design; literature and creative writing (Meehan, 2015).

Learning in, through and about the expressive arts enables children and young people to:

• be creative and express themselves in different ways,

• experience enjoyment and contribute to other people’s enjoyment through creative and expressive

performance and presentation,

• develop important skills, both those specific to the expressive arts and those which are transferable,

• develop an appreciation of aesthetic and cultural values, identities and ideas and, for some,

prepare for advanced learning and future careers by building foundations for excellence in the

expressive arts.

 (Education Scotland, 2018; Meehan, 2015).

Meehan (2015) suggested that these art forms will be addressed within the curriculum, mainly through the Expressive Arts Area of Learning and Experience, but outcomes for literature and creative writing will form part of the Languages, literacy and communication Area of Learning and Experience.

Sir Ken Robinson (2013) implied that creativity is essential to the success and fulfilment of young people, to the vitality of our communities and to the long-term health of the economy. On the Contrary, everyone has creative capacities; creativity is possible in whatever you do, and it can require great discipline and many different skills (Smith, 2013). John Goodlad (2000) proposes that educational renewal and the arts need one another and that the epistemologies of the arts and school renewal mesh (p. 13).

Through education in the arts, brains can be re-trained and developed in order to progress, ‘if we are able to engage children in an art form that they are open to and for which their brain is prepared, then we can use it to train their attention, which seems to improve cognition’ (Posner, 2009) which is one of the positives of using expressive art. Robinson (2013) suggests that creativity and the arts are just as important to attain the sciences and that encouraging creativity through the arts will enable children to interpret and appreciate ‘the real meaning of being literate and numerate in the twenty first century’ (Robinson, 2013 cited in Smith 2013). The extent to which the arts can be used as a mechanism to support learning can vary considerably, ranging from informal extra-curricular activity to full curricular integration, which involves academic disciplines (Smith, 2013).
 
In our AOLE sessions this term, we provided expressive arts sessions for primary schools who attend the university for each seminar class in year two Primary Education Studies to carry out tribal activities to celebrate the Spring Equinox. Within my seminar class we split ourselves into two groups, one group to carry out musical activities and one group to do dance activities. Within the musical group, we had drums, maracas and lots of other instruments to create some tribal music. In the dancing group, we created a dance with the children where they started off as a seed and then they grew and grew all the way up to as tall as they could get towards the sun. For a final performance, we all gave ourselves some tribal face paint in order for us to become a tribal member, and we then put all of our moves and beats together, musicians and dancers all performed together to celebrate the spring equinox. The children really enjoyed the session as it was interesting for them and they could express how they wanted to celebrate it, by dancing or by playing an instrument with passion, as a member of the tribal team.







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Through this, the children were practicing expressive arts as they were being creative and using their imaginations to explore and experiment with different movements and sounds. Education Scotland say that experiences in the expressive arts involve creating and presenting and are practical and experiential. Evaluating and appreciating are used to enhance enjoyment and develop knowledge and understanding. It is important that children practice expressive arts as this is being implemented into the new Donaldson (2015) curriculum in Wales. Expressive Arts are proposed as one of six areas of ‘learning and experience’ in Professor Donaldson’s Review of the Education Curriculum in Wales (Donaldson, 2015).

By encouraging an expressive arts approach in schools, and ensuring positive development for children, health and well-being for both children and teaching staff improves, allows them to achieve high success in school and enjoy life in general (Barry, Clarke & Dowling, 2017). However, there is reason to suggest that if expressive arts is not implemented at a consistent and rigorous level, then the benefits will not perform (Barry, Clarke and Dowling, 2017; Durlak et al, 2011).
 

 

References

Barry, M., Clarke, A. M., & Dowling, K. (2017) ‘Promoting social and emotional well-being in schools’, Health Education, 117(5), pp. 434-451

Donaldson, G. (2015) Successful Futures: Independent Review of Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements in Wales. Welsh Government: Wales

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnici, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schnellinger, K. B. (2011) ‘The impact of enhancing students social and emotional learning: a meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions.’ Child Development, 82(1), pp. 405-432

Education Scotland (2018) Curriculum for excellence: expressive arts. Smarter Scotland: Scottish Government

Goodlad, J. (2000) ‘Educational renewal and the arts.’ Arts Education Policy Review, 101(4) pp. 11-14

King, R. P. & Schwabenlender, S. A. (1994) ‘Supportive therapies for EBD and at-risk students: Rich, varied, and underused.’ Preventing School Failure, 38(2), pp. 13-13

Levine, E.G. & Levine, S. K. (2011) Art in Action: Expressive Arts Therapy and Social Change. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London

Meehan, J. (2015) Scope and connections with other Areas of Learning and Experience. Conwy Expressive Arts and Music Service: Conwy

Optimus Education (2011) Expressive Arts and Design: Exploring and using media and materials. Available: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiB9reepK3hAhWASBUIHaTYB7AQFjACegQIBxAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmy.optimus-education.com%2Fsites%2Foptimus-education.com%2Ffiles%2Fattachments%2Farticles%2Fead_exploring_and_using_media_and_materials.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3f_NH5ougcKlwt0DvE20xt  (Accessed: 27 March 2019)

Posner, M. (2009) Neuroeducation: Learning, arts, and the brain. Dana Foundation Arts and Cognition Consortium. Johns Hopkins University: Baltimore

Smith, Dai. (2013) An independent report for the Welsh Government into Arts in Education in the Schools of Wales. Swansea University: Wales

St Johns (2019) Expressive Arts. Available: http://st-johns.inverclyde.sch.uk/curriculum/expressive-arts/ (Accessed: 27 March 2019)

Wales Government (2017) Expressive Arts AoLE: Submission to Curriculum & Assessment Group. Welsh Government: Wales

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