Why does cultural education matter?
January 17, 2013 3 Comments
“Arts Council chief accuses Gove of abandoning cultural education.”
This headline in the Guardian caught my eye earlier this week. You can read the full article about Dame Liz Forgan’s farewell to the Arts Council as Sir Peter Bazalgette prepares to take over as the new Chair at http://bit.ly/S7P3uB.
Interestingly, Melvyn Bragg is also exploring the ‘The Value of Culture’ in a current BBC Radio 4 series examining the idea of culture and its evolution over the last 150 years. Podcasts are available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/tvoc
Culture is one of the WEA’s four main educational themes and we have been mentioned in the Radio 4 programmes. Our other three educational themes are Employability, Health and Wellbeing and Community Engagement. We have distinctive approaches to each of these themes and work collaboratively to develop our curriculum. All the collectively developed text below explains why we think that cultural education is important in the WEA.
What do you think?
The WEA’s ‘Culture’ Theme
“WEA cultural education broadens horizons through understanding cultures, identities and environments embodying our commitment to social purpose”
Students on the WEA’s ‘Digability’ community archaeology project
We believe that exploring culture helps people to understand the human experience, learning from the past, understanding the present and giving us resources to imagine and shape the future.
‘Culture’ is a very broad term and includes philosophy, music, literature, history, arts, religion, archaeology, science, economics, politics, media – and other subjects from cultures across the world. Studying these subjects enriches our lives and helps us to think creatively and critically as well as providing a basis for thinking about moral and ethical questions.
“Create a Radio Play” – a WEA course run in partnership with the homeless charity St Mungo’s
The notion of ‘art for art’s sake’ is of great value and learning about culture enriches lives regardless of any other benefits that result from such learning.
A journey through local history on the ‘Pride of Tyne’ ferry last year
We know that learning about culture can cause life-changing personal development, teach us to engage with ideas critically and independently. Through such learning, students develop the skills, understanding and resilience to deal with change.
The insights we gain from history, drama, fiction, poetry, paintings and music can be transferred into other aspects of our lives. Learning about other cultures, achievements and experiences in different places and ages help us to understand the world.
Studying other people’s creativity challenges our students to develop their own creative thinking skills, which can prove useful for solving problems that they might encounter in the future. Creativity also promotes well-being.
Through ‘culture’, students can learn from each other and imagine the ways that other people live, or have lived, their lives. This encourages a greater ability for people to understand and learn from others’ experiences as well as about themselves.
Lee Hall based his ‘Pitman Painters’ hit play on a WEA art course in the 1930s
Our tutors are enthusiastic experts in their subject areas, who continue to learn and share high levels of academic expertise. Many are practising artists, writers, musicians and / or academic specialists in their subject areas. They nurture students’ creative instincts and curiosity.
It is important that understanding culture does not become exclusive or seen as ‘belonging’ to any dominant group or class so, as with other aspects of our activities, we work at neighbourhood levels creating accessible and affordable learning opportunities for people who might otherwise be marginalised.
We work in many partnerships for example with galleries, museums, theatres and archives. Our educational activities are part of the cultural fabric of England and Scotland and maximise wider cultural opportunities and access for WEA students and strengthen the voice of those who value cultural education.
Learning about Culture with the WEA can take many forms including study circles, events, seminars and visits as well as courses.
About Ann Walker
Really interesting and enlightening post! WEA contribute so much to society by introducing people to such a varied list of courses! I can honestly say that we at Copeland Occupational and Social Centre are constantly enriched and challenged by everything our WEA tutors have to offer – and just as important – every project is FUN! Keep up the good work Ann – you are all valued more than you know!
Through the WEA, last year, I heard about the PITMEN PAINTERS, since then I have read about them, watched a documentary about them and been to the WOODHORN GALLERY to view their works. I challenge anyone to look at the works in the gallery and not get sucked in to their world and culture and get an understanding of how life used to be and in some places still is in the North East, purely inspiring works. Without the WEA I would not have encountered this cultural journey !
Reblogged this on Gogwit's Blog.