Working at different levels

The current obsession (seemingly greater in the US than the UK - but this is based on a very small sample) with testing, standards and scores severely limits the work that can be done as part of the AIE programme. As well as instability, there is the pressure for conformity - to justify the funding, people want safe processes and outcomes - good quality art work, inspiration, a performance that moves people, young people becoming so good they can turn professional, every child in the school taking part (not left behind), experience of a range of art forms - but it seems to me that this is missing the essential point.

The arts in education provide a huge range of possibilities - in the UK there is great talk about personalising the curriculum -building the curriculum around the individual, - a bespoke service, rather than the individual fitting it to an existing structure - off the peg. The pragmatic truth and possibilities probably lie somewhere in the middle, at best. The arts offer great possibilities for matching provision to pupils' wants, needs and interests. however, for this to be made a reality, the status quo, the paradigm in which we work, needs to be changed - and this will not happen entirely revolutionary but it may do evolutionary with a bit of revolution. This may be the time for it.

There is a movement d0eveloping and gaining ground, which is to bring in a greater pupil centred curriculum, served by subjects / standards but not driven by them. This a central part of the UK educational landscape and is increasingly being discussed across the world. This overcomes the entrenched discussions about arts for arts' sake / arts as an instrument for improvement elsewhere - the arts are not the point, the learner is! Mixing and matching curriculum provision is the point - to meet the needs and aspirations of the learner, to open up possibilities and uncover new horizons. And what kind of practice is needed for this to happen?

Firstly it needs to be wider than the arts - the one thing that young people need is to be ready for the uncertain future that is changing at a pace that is unpredictable - literally. Ken Robinson and Eric Booth say it - the versatile / flexible / creative mind set is what is needed. The arts have a huge role to play in this - creativity is the centre to this - not training in skills - the skills serve the creativity, not the other way around.

Secondly, teacher artists have to share their thinking as well as their practice.

Thirdly, external partners and internal school partners have to go into the partnerships as genuine partners - equal, learners, exploring, coaching and sharing throughout the programme - planning / practice and reflection. A programme that simply brings in expertise, however good, is likely to be a limited programme.

Fourthly, the work is not for primarily the pupils - it is for the adults - to make a sustained difference to practice in schools, it has to be centred around professional development. If the end of a programme results in good work for the children with no integrated change to the thinking of the adults (teachers and external partners) then we have missed the most important trick.

Fifthly, this new profession that is emerging needs organising or the fantastic resource that is being developed in the US and UK will dissipate. Over the past 5 years, the UK government has directly spent £100 million on artists going into schools (through the Creative Partnerships programme) - this has stimulated demand and supply and yet, there is no central organizing of this brilliant network of people from across the arts - either on pay rates, terms and conditions, insurance, professional development, accreditation or recognition, etc. - not to mention the education departments of the hundreds of supported arts organisations, museums, galleries and archives. Please see http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CFF917D1-D11F-4352-9B77-C1728BF24744/0/Nurture_sections.pdf p.51 (the full report is worth reading, the UK Government has responded to it and there is currently a Government sponsored committee looking at how it can make it a reality) for some more thoughts about partnership.

If we can work with our own boundaries - at individual, local, regional and national levels to influence, explain, promote and advocate to a broad range of people, - including parents, public an press we will make a difference. If we can work together - within and across local, regional, state and national boundaries we will make a bigger difference.

We want the public to want this kind of work, either because it is essential - THE key ingredient for young people to become the adults of tomorrow - or because it it sexy - if AIE were to be perceived as the educational equivalent of a BMW or an Ipod, the upward pressure would have a huge impact.