Arts Count in Austria 2008-2010

Arts Count in Austria 2008-2010

In June 2008, EDUCULT has been commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture to carry out a three-year inventory taking of arts and culture in Austrian schools.

Less and less time, resources and space for the arts in schools – test-obsession triggered by PISA puts pressure on arts-related subjects – no promotion of young talent in the Austrian “Kulturnation” – this are the usual laments when people talk about arts and school.

On the other hand, we found manifold exciting examples of good practise when we were compiling our report “Diversity and Cooperation” in 2007 – fantastic performances of school theatre groups, ambitious media projects, innovative approaches to teaching textile art…not to mention the hordes of school classes invading the centre of Vienna during summertime to spend some time in cultural institutions.

So, we started to ask ourselves: what is the role of the arts and culture and schools really like – are they in constant danger of being marginalised or, on the contrary, a thriving and central factor for many schools?

To look into this question more closely, EDUCULT has been commissioned by the Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture to carry out an inventory taking of arts and culture in schools. As far as we know, this is also internationally quite a new approach to a field that is largely obsessed by hopes, believes and fears that in most cases are not based on evidence and facts.

In summer 2008, we are talking to experts and stakeholder in order to design a feasible research framework and methodology. We will focus on questions relating to 3 main topics:

1.         Organisation of schools

2.         A new culture of teaching and learning / cooperation within schools

3.         “Schools as cultural centres” – cooperation with external cultural organisations, artists…

Within these main areas, we will look into questions about teacher qualification, methods and didactics, resources, participation of pupils, motivation, documentation and evaluation…

To tackle this very complex field, we will make use of both quantitative methods (questionnaires) and qualitative methods (case studies, interviews).

We will start a first enquiry in autumn 2008 and repeat it in 2009 and 2010.

If you would like to ask anything about this project or if you would like to provide us with similar experiences in your own country, please contact project manager Anke Schad (anke.schad[at]educult.at).