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Issue: Volume 4 Number 2

The regional focus of this issue is Europe, although submissions from other regions are also included. The year 2012 had many events relevant to the art education community. In June 2012, the InSEA European Regional Congress was successfully held in Lemesos, Cyprus, with participation from 40 countries. It was very well organized and provided a wide variety of cultural experiences. The ArtExchange and Group Gift initiatives, as well as the Art Workshops have been deeply appreciated by the InSEA community. Also in June 2012, the InSEA/USSEA conference was successfully held in Indianapolis, USA, with national and international participants appreciating the presentations, and the extraordinary exhibitions and workshops. On 5th October 2012, UNESCO celebrated the World Teacher’s Day, along with its partners. Their slogan “Take a stand for teachers”, calls attention the need to raise the status of the profession for the benefit of teachers, students and society, and to acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in building the future. In November 2012, the International Journal for Education through Art (IJEtA), which is read in over 40 countries and distributed by IngentaConnect, was accepted for inclusion in the Scopus Database, which is the world’s largest abstract and citation database for peer-reviewed literature. 

Also in November 2012, the University of Lapland, in Finland, hosted the Global Summit of the World Alliance for Arts Education, (WAAE), during which the presidents of InSEA, ISME, IDEA and WDA signed a Memorandum of Alliance to further develop the WAAE alliance and strategic plans within the areas of Research, Advocacy and Networking and advance understanding of UNESCO’s Seoul Agenda: Goals for Arts Education. The increasing importance of the UNESCO Seoul Agenda is evidenced by UNESCO’s signed agreement with Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation (IFESCCO), in advancing Arts Education in the CIS countries. Reports on arts education in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine are available on a Web-Observatory. The accord aims to ensure further promotion of the UNESCO Road Map for Arts Education and the Seoul Agenda (2010) in the CIS Countries. In a similar vein, the Arts Council in Ireland has collaborated with Department of Education & Skills and the Department of Education & Science along with other partners to promote arts education over a three-year period (2011-2013). A report on the first conference on the African Creative Economy (ACE) 2011, that was attended by delegates from 35 countries is also now available.

There are six articles in this issue: a feature article by Miloš Kmeť that provides an overview of arts education in primary and lower secondary level and the challenge of evaluation in visual art education in Slovakia. An article by Teresa Eca on a European Art Education project integrating contemporary art and art education involving teachers and students from four European countries. An article by Sara Albadi providing insights on art education in schools and higher education in Saudi Arabia and how the changing concept of economy, from a resource-driven system to a new system based on knowledge, creativity and innovation has shifted the process of art making and art education. There are three articles that seek to ‘Take a stand for (art) teachers’ and acknowledge their role as artists and art educators. Alison Aune, from USA has been preserving ancient and traditional Nordic art and culture through her art practice and as an art educator, she has been strengthening knowledge exchange in art education between US and Nordic-Baltic countries. Tõnu Talve, from Estonia developed the Fragile Live Art method of making art with live music being played in real time. As an art teacher, he uses this method for children to paint with spontaneity and be fully involved in the process of making art. Ivona Biočić Mandić from Croatia makes tactile stone sculptures, especially for the visually challenged people, to expand their engagement with the arts by perceiving through their sense of touch, instead of sight. As an art teacher, she blends pedagogy and sculpting and involves children as co-creators of her sculptures. 

There are ten projects, eight from Europe, one from Syria and one from Kenya. There are also various calls for submission, application, paper and conferences. I would like to thank Rita Irwin, Graham Nash, Glen Coutts, Marjorie Manifold and Enid Zimmerman for their support and all the contributors for making this issue possible. I would also like to thank Teresa Eca for consistently contributing to the newsletter and helping others to contribute, Marjan Prevodnik for inviting and coordinating contributions on the 2012 InSEA Regional Congress, Cyprus, Martin Môťovský and Pero Mrnarevic for helping with translations between Slovakian, Croatian and English texts. Please continue to send submissions for the next issue, which has a regional focus on South East Asia. Due date for sending submissions is March 30th, 2013. 

Mousumi De

Editor-InSEA Newsletter 

Reflections from the 2012 InSEA European Regional Congress, Lemesos, Cyprus

The theme of the Congress “Arts Education at the Crossroads of Cultures” attracted many professionals from around the world. We found the congress fulfilling, invigorating and rejuvenating us as art educators and artists. There are not enough words, photos and documents to describe everything that happened in Lemessos. There remains personal stories, new friendships, discoveries of Cypriot cultural heritage, tourist sites, new acquired knowledge, new artistic skills, new ideas, warm feelings from the congress, new encounters with local artists, knowledge of the local cuisine, minutes from the world and regional council meetings and photos from all around. More information >>

Call for Expression of Interest in organising an InSEA Conference  in 2015/16

InSEA is looking for expressions of interest for Art Education bodies interested in organising an InSEA Conference in future years. We are developing a conference program up to and including a World Congress in 2017. While the World Congress in Melbourne, Australia in 2014 is in place and arrangements for a 2013 program will be published early in the new year, 2015/16 are available for Regional Conferences and some interest has been shown. 2017 is our next available World Congress. InSEA is looking for expressions of interest rather than firm plans at this stage as we attempt to put in place arrangements for the coming years. By way of providing early information you will find below the url for InSEA's Conference proceedures. Please contact the InSEA Secretary for further information. For more information please see procedures for the organisation of international congresses

34th World Congress of the International Society for Education through Art, 2014 (Melbourne, Australia)

The 34th InSEA World Congress will be held from 7 to 11 July 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. InSEA Congresses have historically been academic and educator focussed, welcoming delegates from notable art education institutions from across the world, as well as offering topical content for public and private educators.  At a time when the challenges for art education/educators is immense, the InSEA2014 Committee is dedicated to ensuring the program addresses the vast array of aesthetic and cultural issues embedded in diverse social contexts.  The program will provide relevance for representatives from state, national and private galleries, art collectors and philanthropists to the Arts. To keep up to date and receive relevant Congress information, please register your interest at InSEA2014 

Reflections from the 2012 InSEA/ USSEA Conference, Indianapolis, USA

While the thermometer rose to over 100 steamy degrees outside, attendees of the 2012 InSEA/USSEA Conference (June 23-26 June), in Indianapolis, USA gathered together in the cool interior of the Crowne Plaza Union Station in downtown Indianapolis, to enjoy, share, and participate in a series of thought provoking presentations and inspirational workshops. The conference focused on the theme of how 'Education through Art helps in Teaching for Global Understanding and Engagement'. In addition to these intellectually stimulating presentations, the conference was site of several extraordinary exhibitions of art and a number of workshops. More information >>

The 'Art Educators as Artists' Exhibition organized by USSEA, 2013

USSEA is organizing the second “Art Educators as Artists” Exhibition during the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Convention from March 7-10, 2013, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The works will be exhibited onsite as well as on the USSEA website to promote the participant art educators and artists. You can submit up to three artworks (originals only). The dimensions of the artworks cannot exceed 12" x 12". Only 2-D works will be accepted. Please include the title, medium, year, and price of your artwork along with your jpegs. Those who are interested in participating can send the jpegs of their artworks to Fatih Benzer. The due date for submissions is February 20, 2013.

International Journal for Education through Art

The Journal, now well established as a key source of research findings and critical essays on issues related to its core theme of ‘education through art’ has been accessible online since 2012. Since last year, (Vol.7 No.3), InSEA members have been receiving the journal online. This has brought many benefits, including full colour throughout, fast and sophisticated search facilities, content alert features and live hyperlinks. Please see the Call for Visual Essays. The Journal is read in over 40 countries and is being distributed via IngentaConnect, with potential access to almost every university and college in the world. In addition, the publishing partners Intellect Ltd, continue to actively promote the Journal at conferences, seminars and book fairs around the world. Since November 2012, the journal has been accepted for inclusion in the Scopus Database. Scopus is the world’s largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and quality web sources. 

Since the first issue in 2005, IJEtA readers have come to expect high quality research reports, critical essays and reviews in the Journal and this will continue with increasing number of submissions from all parts of the world. The journal seeks submissions from the entire art education community and particularly from those parts of the world that are not normally well represented in international journals and from sectors beyond the ‘mainstream’ education sectors. To find out how to submit, please register online here. The journal also seeks suggestions on books to be reviewed, especially those published in languages other than English. Please send suggestions to Reviews Editor, Nicholas Houghton. The International Journal of Education through Art is also on Facebook - please consider signing up and sharing your teaching, art and research online here >>

Glen Coutts

Principal Editor - International Journal of Education through Art

InSEA European Regional Congress 2013 (24-26 June 2013, Canterbury, UK)

The 2013 InSEA European Regional Congress will be held at the Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK. The Theme of the congress is 'Tales of Art and Curiosity'. In the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a collection of stories - capturing a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travelled together on a journey from Southwark (in London) to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.  In 2013, it is hoped that art educators will gather in Canterbury to share their stories and similarly entertain and inspire each other. Congress website will be announced soon. More information >>

WAAE Summit 2012, Lapland: Cultural Encounters and Northern Reflections

At a time when global resources and economies tighten, arts educators have a role in re-inventing, re-visioning, re-searching new and traditional means for engaging communities and especially young people. Extending and deepening the reach of arts education in schools, in communities, and in diverse people’s lives remains a rationale for leaders in arts education to meet and collectively work to advance the role of arts education. From 7-10 November 2012, the University of Lapland (Finland) hosted the Global Summit of the World Alliance for Arts Education, a global gathering of arts educators at the most northerly university in the European Union. The focus of this summit included: sharing international arts education research on pedagogy, curriculum, cultural sustainability and community engagement; reviewing and developing the WAAE alliance and strategic plans within the areas of Research, Advocacy, Networking and advancing understanding of UNESCO’s Seoul Agenda: Goals for Arts Education. The event was supported by the Institute for Northern Culture and the University of the Arctic. The Thematic Network ‘Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design’ (ASAD) also held a meeting of members during the summit. For more information, visit WAAE Summit 2012

UNESCO celebrates World Teachers’ Day 2012

On 5 October 2012, UNESCO celebrated the World Teachers’ Day 2012, along with its partners, the International Labour Organization, UNDP, UNICEF and Education International (EI). The slogan of the celebration was Take a stand for teachers, which means providing adequate training, ongoing professional development, and protection for teachers’ rights. Taking a stand is important because the profession is losing status in many parts of the world. World Teachers’ Day calls attention the need to raise the status of the profession for the benefit of teachers, students, as well as the society as a whole and to acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in building the future. At UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, the focus of the celebration was on how to attract top graduates to teaching and how to raise the status of teachers. 

Albert Motivans, from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics was invited to provide insights into how the lack of teachers affects progress towards Education for All (EFA) (World Education Blog). Massive teacher shortages are estimated in countries struggling to provide every child with quality primary education by 2015.  Moreover, some school systems are lowering teaching standards in order to expand their teaching forces and meet the demand for primary education. The UIS estimates over one-half of the world’s countries need to increase their teaching workforces in primary education between 2010 and 2015. The UNESCO eAtlas (UIS) provides this data to help international and national policymakers evaluate their recruitment needs. On the World Teachers' Day, UNESCO launched the Teachers Strategy for 2012-2015 with the aim of supporting teachers for quality learning and configure a teaching force that works in an environment that rewards professional improvement. 

Arts Education in CIS countries: Building Creative Capacities for the 21st Century 

Heartful Pedagogy: Honouring the Work of Kit Grauer will be a one day event, May 31, 2013, at the world renown Museum of Anthropology on the campus of The University of British Columbia. It will be followed by a celebratory reception – a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Kit Grauer’s contributions to the field of art education. 

La labor de Deborah Smith