1. “The Arts in Education Charter:
Context and Potential”
Talk by Professor John Coolahan
At
CNCI Conference, Lighting A Fire
National Gallery of Ireland, 19 April 2013

2. The Arts in Education Charter (2013)
Some Aspects of the Background
• 1979 “The Place of the Arts in Irish Education”
Arts Council consultative committee to liaise with D. of
Ed. planning committee for arts in ed.
- Climate of recession – official inaction
- Action on the ground - fragmented
• June 2008 “Points of Alignment” – Committee had
support of DES, D. of Arts and Arts Council
- wide ranging inputs
- Climate of recession - official inaction
- Action on the ground - fragmented.

3. “The Changing Context” – Position
Paper (2008)
• Curricular reforms; Role of ICT; Role of Education Centres, Role of
T. Ed.; Artists – School Guidelines (2006) etc.
• Changing Attitudes towards Childhood – Strategy;
Ombudsman, Minister for Children etc.
• Gov. Depts – Dept of the Arts (1993); Heritage Council (1995) Local
Authority Arts Officers, DES; Min. for Children
• 1998 CNCI; 2004 ECO
• Expanded range of Arts organisations  Education, (163)
• Increased Research on Arts Education  Audit
• Impact of New Technologies for Arts Education
• Favourable Economic Situation
• Flowering of the Arts in Irish Society
• Public Valuing of Arts for Education (2006).

4. The Context 2013
• Most of 2008 features still in evidence
• Unfavourable economic situation
• Increased experience of organisations and artists
involved – much ‘best practice’
• Developed role of Local Authorities’ Arts
• High level of Commitment by Personnel
• Arrival of RTE Jr – multifaceted (15 April 2013)
• Junior Cycle Curriculum Reform in hand
• Expanded provision in ITE and CPD
• Impatience for Progress.

5. Sustaining the Concern (2008-13)
• Resilience of Arts Organisations
• Crucial Role of Arts Council
• Sequence of Conferences e.g. “Creating
Conversations”; “Youth-Culture: FYI”;
“Encountering the Arts”
• Engagement of new organisations such as
Encountering the Arts Ireland (ETAI);
Association for Creativity and Arts in
Education (ACAE).

6. The Arts in Education Charter
• Links back to Points of Alignment Report
• “In 2011, on coming to office, we resolved, as Ministers
with responsibility for this area of converged interest,
to prioritise action on Arts in Education”.
• “As signatories of this Charter we have worked hard to
draw up a practical Charter, and are envisioning a
future alignment centred on the students. We are
committed to maintaining this Charter up to date, and
to achieving its objectives” (p.3).
Ministers’ Commitments.

7. Significance of Charter
• First time a joint commitment made
• Commitment to a specific range of Projects
• A Partnership approach with Arts Council and arts
organisations
• Consultative process – open to change and development
• Charter to be in-built in system for long-term
• Linkages will be promoted to other relevant
Departments, incl. Min. for Children
• Regular reportage on implementation progress
• Improving co-ordination, collaboration, mapping of
activities.

8. Potential of Charter
• Symbolically an important initiative
• Financially, a modest initiative
• Potentially a supportive bulwark for effort
• Potential buy-in by private sector
• Can identify areas of weakness and initiate remedial
action
• Can use its good offices to create synergies with
greater impact than fragmented efforts
• Potential can be incremental, particularly when
national economy recovers
• “Creativity” as Ireland’s brand image.

9. Work of the Implementation Group (1)
• 4 Meetings to Date
• Analysis of brief
• Instituting planning of some key initiatives e.g.
Arts Rich Schools; the Arts Education Portal;
Artists in Residence, engagement of Education
Centres etc
• Communicating with various agencies.

10. Work of the Implementation Group (2)
• Input from Arts Council Ed and Youth section
• Planning for meetings with key stakeholders
• No specific budget
• Seeking to maximise input from existing
resources
• Initiating efforts at seeking sponsorship
• Reflecting on Mapping process of the Arts -
Education
• Report to, and advise Ministers regularly.

11. Attitude of Implementation Group
• Aim to give leadership and support for initiatives
• Operating a partnership approach with
stakeholders
• Open to suggestions and proposals to enhance
the Charter
• Aim to affirm achievements and foster
collaboration
• Aim to promote a higher profile for the arts in
education.

12. Realising the Potential
• Not a Panacea for all problems: but has potential
• Get Charter as an integral part of the Arts – Education
scene for future
• Respect for Arts Organisations and Art Educators
• Key aim to serve better needs of young people
throughout the country
• Charter as a facilitating, stimulating, supportive agency
• Seize the opportunity
• “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine” – “Ní neart
go chur le chéile.”