Term Paper on "Student Residence Journal the Role of Art"

Term Paper 15 pages (4226 words) Sources: 7 Style: Harvard

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Student Residence Journal

THE ROLE OF ART IN SOCIETY

ART IN EDUCATION

The aims of the Fine Art Student Programme is one that builds on the three aspects of skills, experience and theory and that extends the comprehension and competence in the practice of art in the public realm and fosters the learning of students who are less experienced. The role of art in society is many-faceted and one that is far-reaching socially, politically, and culturally. Art may persuade, stimulate the mind, or stimulate changes within the fabric of society. Art not only provides a contribution to the development of the human being in understanding the physical, emotional, intellectual, aesthetic, social, moral and spiritual dimensions of the human experience but as well art assist with "the expression and identity of individuals and groups through the recording and sharing of experiences and imagination." (The Arts, 1998) Within the context of the community the influence of art is evident."..in the design of the clothes we wear, the buildings in which we live and work, and many of the objects we use everyday." (The Arts, 1998) Artistic works have the power to "inform, teach, persuade and provoke thought...[and] reinforce existing ideas and values, challenge them or offer new ways of thinking and feeling. They can confirm existing values and practices, and they can bring about change." (The Arts,. 1998) Art assist students in the use of critical thinking, creative imagination, interpersonal and vocational skills and disciplined inquiry to develop their own ideas. Creative art processes used are improvisation, interpretation, design, construction, choreography, arrangement, editing and directive through use of collaboration, group and individual problem-solving processes. (The Arts, 1998; paraphrased) Peter Sellars, director of the Los Angeles Festival of Arts is credited with stating that: "There is no meaning, either in art or in society, without participation." (1991) Indeed, this has been the experience of this writer. Lucy Kimbell writes in the work entitled: "Some Ways of Working: Themes Emerging from Artists' Residencies With/In Business" that: "Residencies are more about the communication between the parties involved that the art that's produced." Furthermore, Kimbrell relates that while the artist is one who "...makes thing" they also "...make contexts." (nd) Kimbell states that the artist must "decide where to place themselves in relation to the organization in which they are working: whether to be more or less critical, more or less professional, more of less self-determined. One of these dimensions is the extent to which artists have a clear idea of what they want to make or how they want to work. At one end, there are artists who want to produce particular pieces of work, and at the other, there are those whose practice feeds of their engagement with the context and the people within it." (nd)

Don Foresta, in the work entitled: "The Network Metaphor" states that "A person relating to the new propositions of a work of art is in fact going through a change of perception, learning to see differently through the differing set of relations proposed by the artists. From the beginning of the artistic revolution of our times, artists have been anticipating the new space we are trying to define. Cezanne, in his still-lifes, broke with the perspective of the Renaissance with its imposed single point-of-view by proposing several different points-of-view within a single image through multiple angles of view." (nd) Foresta holds that "art is a process, first in the act of creation and then in the act of appreciation. The spectator, observer, forms part of the indispensable chain that is art." (nd) Foresta points out the fact that Marcel Duchamp regarded an art piece has "having two poles, the artist and the spectator..." with each being just as important as the other because each are participants in the "definition of a work" of art. Another initiative noted by this writer is the REAL Programme is a Glasgow-based learning partnership that was designed for the purpose of increasing access to opportunities to learn that were deemed appropriate specifically for the 21st century characterized by "rapid change and complexity requiring new capacities and skills." (Williams, Morisette, and Vazquez, 2004) REAL Programme partners are: Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Colleges Group, University of Strathclyde, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University and Learning and Teaching Scotland. The work of Williams, Morrisette and Vazquez (2004) is one that concentrates on the Trialect section of the programme which supports young individuals in their focus on learning in relation to the arts through a process of practical engagement led by mentors who are active participants in the art industries. Some comments arising from this programme were those as follows: "The importance of relationships -- grounded in equitable, fair, and respectful disclosure- to the development of a culture of participation and learning, cannot be overemphasized." [John West-Burnham & George Otero] (Ibid) "Teaching young people is about relationships with them. Relationships between teachers and pupils improve the wider they are. [Glasgow School Head Teacher] (Ibid) Among those interviewed who participated in the REAL Programme it is stated that every individual "confirmed the value of cultivating positive relationships" between the mentor and learner. The relationships are stated to be characterized by "the existence of reciprocity, recognition and respect..." (Williams, Morisette, and Vazquez, 2004) and it is also related that "learner's sense of their own value is enhanced by contact with mentors who treat them as equals, openly praise their work and address them as fellow creatives." (Williams, Morisette, and Vazquez, 2004)It is stated that the mentors in the programme made the discovery that: "teaching could be a special way of engaging in collaborative work." (Williams, Morisette, and Vazquez, 2004)

Structure of the Royal Docks Community School Project

During that same week the writer of this work and another art in residence student visited the Royal Docks Community School and were introduced to the first set of children which was a set comprised of 20 students that were 8-year students. The students participated in the programme for a total of four weeks and then a new set of students would rotate in allowing for maximum participation of the children in the project and the opportunity to make a contribution. The writer of this work and the other art in residence student were introduced to the children as mentors for the Cascade Project.

Exploring the Royal Docks Community

The task for the day with the children was to visit local sites in the community which was for the purpose of enabling the children to take photographs of their community. The sites which were visited included the Excel Exhibition Centre, the Royal Victoria Docks, The City Farm, the Custom House and the Thames Barrier Park. While visiting the Royal Victoria Docks the children walked along a tall footbridge that enabled a view across the expanse of the areas allowing the children a different perspective of the area in which they live and learn. College students participating in the four-week project were students in the travel and tourism course. This experience allowed them to be involved in a learning experience that would enable them to work along others as part of training their customer focus experience as well as in allowing them the opportunity to become familiar with the area and introducing the possibility of the docklands area as a future tourist attraction. This experience is noted in its importance and is well-stated by Sellers (1991) who stated of art that it is: "...an invitation to become part of something that is larger than yourself."

Student Journal Entries - Week One through Week Eleven of the Project

Week One (October 11, 2006)

During Week One (October 11, 2006) which was prior to meeting the children of the Royal Docks Community School the writer of this work and another art in residence student went to the Garden Cafe to meet with the coordinators of the project as well as having met with the youth workers and students from the local college who would be assisting in the role of mentors to the secondary school children.

Week Two (October 18, 2006)

During week two of the Royal Docks Community Project one of the students called the writer of this work by the title 'Miss' and it was this experience that not only provided a great sense of satisfaction but led to a deeper awareness of the role that was filled in this position in the view of the students involved in the project. It was during week two that the awareness of more than 100 different languages being spoken within the Royal Docks Community School penetration comprehension and as well evidenced the multi-cultural aspect of East London and the accompanying cultural influences in the local area. The group of 20 students was inclusive of three that spoke the mother-language of the writer of this work.

Week Three - Interval Week

Week Four - November 1, 2006

During this week the lunch break had scheduled at the end of the break a performance… READ MORE

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