Six reasons the arts are important for young people

 

1. The arts offer new ways of thinking. Music can illuminate math problems. Mime tells a story without words. Cartooning uses images and few words to bring a tale to life.

 

2. The arts provide real-world skills. Live performance skills are a necessity for lawyers, salespeople, teachers and business owners to name a few.

 

3. The arts promote creative and critical thinking necessary for navigating the ever-shifting terrain of the new economy.

 

4. The arts offer multiple avenues for self-expression. Hip-hop, cartooning and theatre are great vehicles for children to share their stories.

 

5. The arts offer a bridge across language, personal and cultural differences. Children work, learn and share together to create theatre, music and dance pieces.

 

6. The arts are a safe space for experimentation, daydreaming, freedom, joy and wonder.

 

Useful Links

* Sir Ken Robinson talks about the role of arts, education and young people in his wildly popular Ted Talk: Do Schools Kill Creativity? 

* Why Teach Drama: A Defense of the Craft