Learning about and through the arts is fundamental to an education that aspires to support the development of the whole person. Awareness of, involvement in and appreciation of the arts, enables students to encounter a rich world of creativity, imagination and innovation (Arts in Education Charter, 2012). The UN Declaration of Human Rights (Article 27) affirms the right of everyone to ‘participate in the cultural life of the country, and to enjoy the arts’.
Learning in the area of artistic performance is enjoyable for students, because it is hands-on, fully engaging the participants in practical group activities. It fosters both the development of the specific skills of the art form and a range of transferable skills that may apply to other collaborative endeavours. Through movement, sound, symbol and image, the arts can transform people’s creative ideas into expressive works that communicate feelings, meanings and interpretations to an audience. While it may draw on the students’ previous experiences, it also provides opportunities for students to develop new skills; the performance being both a challenge and a source of satisfaction in bringing an idea from conception to realisation.
This short course in artistic performance aims to engage students in artistic practices with others, by offering a structure that can be used to facilitate collaborative and individual imaginative and creative initiatives, leading to a group performance.