Creative confluences. An interpretative approach to the contribution of artists in school settings

Identificador:  imarina:9243735

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9243735

Autors:  Macaya, Albert; Valero, Eloisa

Resum:
Countries such as United Kingdom, the United States or Australia have a long experience in developing the contribution of professional artists in educational settings. In such countries, there has long been a concern to assess the impact of artists-in-school programs. However, this concern has not been without controversy. While many scholars argue that objective indicators can confirm (or, eventually, refute) the benefits of such programs, some other object the possible confirmation bias in this kind of evaluations and the difficulty of assessing complex issues relying on objective registers. An alternative are the ethnographic or interpretative researches that can give us a glimpse of what actually occurs in a specific case study. Following this option, we summarize an interpretative research on the program l'Artista va a l'Escola. Beyond the (perhaps) foreseeable positive appreciation of the participants, the research reveals the interactions between teachers, artists and students, their perception of the experience, and the meaning and scope the projects had for them. To some extent, findings show a mutual recognition between teachers and artists, as both roles provide complementary professional knowledge to the projects. Participants especially value the possibility to reflect and express themselves. Although very few, some divergences and frictions are also observed.