Strengthening the Asian Face-Asian Voice through Arts Education

By: Maria Gloriosa Santos-Cabangon

PETA CREATIVE ACTV

Asia is on Center Stage.

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The region has emerged as a major

global economic player.

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The innovations taking place in Asia have attracted the interest of the global community.

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The special interest on Asia now brings a lot of opportunities for the region but should also be addressed with caution.

Despite the improvements in Asian economies, many continue to live in poverty, hunger, conflict and

environmental threat.

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PETA CREATIVE ACTV

Globalization has threatened our identity and cultures.

Our unfamiliarity with our regional neighbors and limited understanding of each ones history and culture have brought uncertainty and doubt against each other.

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“Asian Face-Asian Voice” is about knowing ourselves, our values, world views and ways of doing things as well as understanding our realities, dynamism and diverse cultures and societies as Asians.

It is about interrogating existing paradigms, creating our own meanings and identities, working with and learning from each other while critically engaging in the globalized world.

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PETA CREATIVE ACTV

It is about us finding our voice amidst the noise so we can determine our path towards a life of prosperity, dignity and peace, together with the rest of the world.

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Our (PETA) vision for arts education is in pursuit of this goal—that arts education will contribute to strengthening the “face” and the “voice” of the Asian 21st century learners as they navigate themselves in this complex world.

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RIGHT TO ARTS EDUCATION

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All learners, whether they are

in school or outside of the

formal education setting, should

enjoy the right to arts education.

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Right to arts education requires

that it be made available and

accessible to all children and young

people, without discrimination.

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This, however, continues to be a

challenge in Asian societies marred with poverty and

social inequalities.

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In the Philippines, arts education is made available through its inclusion in the Basic Education Curriculum.

Public education is free.

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High dropout rate: For every 100 entrants in elementary, 76 will finish Grade 4, 66 will finish elementary and only 51 will complete high school.

As children drop out of school, they also lose the opportunity for free arts education.

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It is therefore important to make free arts education reach the unreached; make it available not only in basic education but also in the alternative learning systems, local community programs and social development programs.

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QUALITY OFARTS EDUCATION

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Arts education for secondary school curriculum in the Philippines is formally embodied in the MAPEH subjects—Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health. In the current curriculum for Music and Arts, Theater is included as a learning competency and as one of the disciplines for study.

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Majority of MAPEH teachers do not have training in theater education, have limited exposure and many seem to exhibit a lack of interest in theater.

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To ensure quality of arts education, teacher training is important. Teachers should also be provided with adequate reference and learning materials.

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We need to develop teachers and arts education programs that are grounded in our realities, that recognize our distinct ways of learning, that are culture-based yet inclusive and liberating.

We have to evolve our own paradigms and bodies of knowledge in arts education based on our practices in the region and our interaction with the world.

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CULTURES OF ASIA

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Commom feature shared by most Asian nations is a colonial history, wherein many nations have been colonized by Europe and America.

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Arts education should promote the awareness, appreciation and critical reflection of ones culture towards a better understanding of our identity and history.

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Arts education should facilitate the critical inquiry and re-examination of meanings, symbols and images of our cultures towards a more in-depth understanding of ourselves.

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Asian culture is so rich and diverse and our young people should know and learn from our culture so they can locate their own cultural identity, gain critical reflection of themselves and develop sensitivity and tolerance for others.

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CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

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Arts education should promote cultural diversity by continuously exposing the students to different

cultures, artistic forms and practices within their

community/country, in Asia and the world.

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Arts education should promote reflection through a “community of

inquiry”—providing students with multi-cultural and multi-perspective

experiences to make them listen, dialogue and understand the “others

who are different from them”.

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Reflecting on our differences and how these lead to tensions and conflicts provide a new way of seeing things. Critical reflection is a necessary process for people coming from divergent cultures, to genuinely work together. (Espallardo)

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Working in and through the arts allow for the expansion of consciousness, for exploring new temperaments and the transformation of self. (Caruso)

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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVISIONS IN ASIA

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The changes and innovations taking place in Asia highlight the region’s contrasts and diversity resulting to social and cultural divisions and polarizations. (Hansen)

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Arts education should be a means by which the critical mind of our students be developed so they will be able to discern the rapid and complex changes taking place.

Photo from thepeoples voice.org

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Arts education should make students aware and sensitive to social realities.

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Arts education anchored on HUMAN RIGHTS provides a platform by which children can create and imagine a world where all people live a life of respect and dignity.

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Developing the students’ critical thinking will help overcome the “culture of silence”, the culture of conformity”, the “culture of materialism and consumerism” and the “culture of indifference” around us.

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CREATIVE INDUSTRY

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Asian arts have also exploded in the global

scene enjoying and influencing

a broader audience.

Photos from Internet ---->

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Asia is recognized as an important human and

cultural resource.

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Arts education contributes to the strengthening of creative industries through audience development and by inspiring new artists and arts educators.

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Arts education is in the best position to create the audiences of the future.

Harnessing audiences, artists and arts educators from the ranks of arts education students contribute to the continuing artistic life of a society.

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CHILD PARTICIPATION

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Participation is the right of every child. It is both a process and an instrument to achieve

the other rights.

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Arts education should uphold child participation.

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“When children and youth feel they are taken seriously and respected by others, they gain more control over their lives and develop hope for the future.” (Steinitz)

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Strengthening “Asian Face-Asian Voice” through arts education means democratizing access to quality and meaningful arts education that is grounded in the local cultures and histories of Asia, respectful of cultural diversity, sensitive to and critical of our complex social realities, is anchored on human rights, contributes to the development of future audiences and artist-citizens and nurtures participation of children.

Arts education in Asia is a fertile ground for discovery, learning and innovation. Let us all share this journey.

REFERENCES:

Caruso, Hwa Young. (2005). Critical cultural inquiry and multicultural education. http://www.eastern.edu/publications/emme/2005fall/caruso.html

Cabangon, Maria Gloriosa. (2012). Designing a theater education curriculum for the training of secondary school teachers. MA Thesis. University of the Philippines.

Espallardo, Lea. (2010). The Mekong performing arts laboratory: A cross-cultural experiment. Building Creative Communities: PETA’s Theater for Advocacy Work in Mekong. PETA.

Espallardo, Lea. (2011). Asserting Asian Face, Asian Voice: PETA’s Creative Response to Globalization.

Lipman, Matthew. (1991). Thinking in education. Cambridge University Press.

REFERENCES:

Luisto, Armin. (2012). The state of basic education: Gaining ground. Paper delivered during the Annual Membership Gathering. The Tower Club.

Preface written by Olaf Gerlach Hansen for Images of Asia: Cultural perspectives on a changing Asia. DCCD. 2004.

Steinitz, Lucy. (2009). Guidelines for Promoting Child Participation. Family Health International. Namibia.

Vellani, Anmol. (2004). Inclusive Image-making. Images of Asia. DCCD.