Skip to main content
MEXT : Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
MEXT
Home > FY2005 White Paper on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology > Column > column9


column 9

Association to Support Arts Education for Cildren(Shiga Prefecture)

The motto of the Association to Support Arts Education for Children is to “provide children with opportunities to experience real art,” and was established in 2000 as a cultural volunteer group. A housewife who had moved to Shiga from Tokyo decided that she would like to realize cooperation between schools and museums in the region where she now lived, similar to the programs that take place overseas and in Tokyo. To that end, she instigated art coordination volunteer activities that link school teachers with local artists and curators (See Figure on the right).
Her efforts initially were a struggle, given differences between the administrative organizations involved, and the lack of experience among institutions of mutual exchange, but by visiting each school directly and gaining a picture of their needs, the association’s activities gradually became more vigorous. Membership also increased to approximately 50 people, mainly housewives and university students, and with the approval of school personnel and administrative organizations involved, a total of approximately 6,000 children from 20 elementary, lower secondary, and special schools in the prefecture (figures are for FY2004) have received classes at school conducted in conjunction with museums and local artists.
The association is characterized by the following three points: (1) by experiencing arts and culture, children will nurture a rich sensitivity as well as deepening their understanding of local culture; (2) schools, museums, artists and cultural volunteers work together to formulate a plan for a regular class unit and conduct that class; and (3) revitalize local cultural and arts activities through the active utilization of cultural resources such as community cultural facilities and personnel in classes. In this way, the association is working to enhance educational functions of communities by harnessing the power of culture.

 
▲Commissioner for Cultural Affairs takes up a flute and participates in a class

previous page next page


Top of this page