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New UNESCO publication “Arts for transformative education” launched at the 5th World Cultural Heritage Youth Symposium
The guide invites teachers to harness the transformative power of the arts through a research-informed Arts for Transformative Education model. This thinking tool for teachers was developed by analyzing data from more than 600 teachers from ASPnet schools across 39 countries.
It is co-published by UNESCO and the Canadian National Commission of UNESCO, in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning, Dr. Benjamin Bolden of Queen’s University, Canada. It is expected to help implementing the UNESCO’s new Framework on Culture and Arts Education, adopted at the World Conference on Culture and Arts Education from 13 to 15 February 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
“UNESCO has a deep commitment to arts education and strives to apply it as a major lever for human development. The role of teachers is central in shaping and delivering quality and transformative arts education, and they must be fully supported in this endeavor,” said Ms. Julie Saito, International Coordinator of UNESCO ASPnet, when presenting the guide.
She also thanked Mr. Vasilis Papalymperis, President of the Hellenic Cultural and Educational Club for UNESCO, the organizer of the symposium for providing the venue to invite 370 teachers and students mainly from 22 ASPnet schools in 14 countries: Andorra, Portugal, China, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Kingdom of Netherlands, Oman, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, St. Maarten, Türkiye, and the United States.
The symposium was supported by the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, the United Nations Regional Information Center (UNRIC) and the UNESCO Chair in Intercultural Policy for an Active Citizenship and Solidarity - University of Macedonia.
Arts education to empower transformative education
The topic of the 5th World Cultural Heritage Youth Symposium 2024 was “This is my living heritage!”. One of the highlights of the opening ceremony was a rap song with lyrics featuring the role of UNESCO in promoting the SDGs and connecting youth and their voices, created and performed by a rappers’ group Rapolitics together with the Danish UNESCO Youth Ambassador Team.
Following the opening, the participants moved to Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, to spend a 3-day agenda, including an interactive workshop “Arts for Transformative Education,” designed by UNESCO ASPnet in collaboration with the Hellenic National UNESCO ASPnet Coordinator, Ms. Vera Dilari. In the workshop, teachers discussed how to deliver arts education to empower transformative education based on the new Arts for Transformative Education model, following the six steps included in the publication.
At the second interactive workshop, conducted by the National Coordinator and Ms. Christodoulou, Individual Expert on ICH & school education, teachers discussed how to teach with Living Heritage in the classroom using the six-step methodology proposed in the UNESCO-EU publication “Teaching and Learning with Living Heritage: Resources for teachers”, based on the Pilot Survey on the UNESCO ASPnet schools in the European Union.
“This symposium is a journey of culture and history. A journey to a sustainable future. Hopefully, a journey to be remembered” said the organizer, Mr. Vasilis Papalymperis, President of the Hellenic Cultural and Educational Club for UNESCO. The students shared their living heritage through presentation of music, dancing, food, meditative cultural practices, calligraphy, craft art, to connect their history, nature and the challenge all humanity faces.
“I saw many similarities. And I also witnessed how each delegation contributed to the shared vision of a world that exists in peace and harmony; a world where one can learn from the other,” said Ms. Amalia Petrova, Vice-President of the Hellenic Cultural and Educational Club for UNESCO.
On the last day, the participants had an opportunity to visit the archeological site of Olympia: the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games, where the torch for the Olympic Games in Paris this year was lit in the ceremony just a day before the Symposium symbolically started.
At the closing ceremony, Ms. Saito received a Declaration for the Protection of World Cultural Heritage, which collected the signature of all participants.
