Call for participation
Dear colleagues,
The Exploring Visual Culture project, established as a platform for educators that networks exciting projects across borders, borders that are both national and international. One of the objectives of this project is to encourage art educators to realise educational challenges that are endemic to many other educators situated elsewhere.
It is of great importance for the EVC project that the following topics are discussed consistently: sustainability, intercultural dialogue and cultural heritage amongst others (see EVC's mission statement). The experiences of the last few years have highlighted other important educational values.
But, especially within international cooperation, important questions arise: When we talk about art education, are we talking about the same thing at all? Or do the concepts, goals, methods involved share greater similarities rather than differences?
One should concede that different contexts develop their own specific art education - in response to the respective local conditions at a particular time. And, these contexts are always quite different, depending on the place and depending on the time. They will elicit a specific education for that ‘contemporary’ moment. Therefore, art education concepts are always quite different. It is important to acknowledge this and yet find elements of comparability, similarities and differences.
It is crucial for any successful international collaboration to begin to understand these similarities and differences. Towards this end, the EVC project is enthusiastically supporting a research project on this very topic: DIVA (Diversity in Art Education). The DIVA project was initiated by InSEA (the UNESCO-recognised global art education organisation). We are optimistic that the EVC project and its network will be able to learn a lot from the results of this research.
In support of DIVA, we strongly request: If you are involved in the training of art teachers, please participate in this research project! Your involvement adds to the greater success of the project, so please get involved now!
Click here to access the landing page of the survey.
Avi Sooful (EVC Chair)
Patrique deGraft-Yankson (InSEA World Councillor)
Ernst Wagner (Newsletter Team)