Put visual arts centre stage in K12 education, says HundrED

The Spotlight on Visual Arts aims to bring visual communication skills on par with literacy and numeracy, and will showcase leading innovations that “encourage self-expression and cultivate the creative thinking skills needed for 21st-century life and work”.

“Many times art is thought of as a hobby and it’s not necessarily encouraged as a career path”

The project is seeking input from across the visual arts education sector and is aiming to find the best examples of innovation.

“The ability to understand and reflect visual artistic expression is critically important to thriving in today’s digital and visual world,” said Danny Gilliland, head of Impact & Growth at HundrED.

“Visual arts not only cultivates the ability to reflect, understand and communicate important information but fosters creativity and joy in our daily lives.”

Visual literacy must be recognised as a fundamental skill in K12 education considering the “ever-expanding” digital platforms with visual content in lives and work, he added.

The value and importance of art education in schools is often sidelined due to the increased emphasis on STEM education to prepare students for the modern workforce, the partners said.

“Many times art is thought of as a hobby and it’s not necessarily encouraged as a career path,” Maria Facal from the Corporate Social Responsibility team at Supercell explained.

“We were inspired by the artists in Supercell to work together with HundrED to promote art as a key element in education.”

Innovators, educators and organisations working in visual arts education are welcome to submit innovations by May 15, 2020.

Selected solutions will be released at the end of 2020 “to kick-start a movement that supports the integration of visual art education in our classrooms globally”, the partners added.