Arts Education, while broad in its meaning and application, is essentially a tool that helps inspire people to understand, reflect and creatively solve global problems. The Head of School of Media and Communication (SOMAC), Ms. Prema Ponnudurai views art as covering a wide spectrum of areas from drawing, dancing and acting to visual arts such as film and digital art forms.
“Education is the sharing and creation of new knowledge in a specific field of study, so arts education to me is the marrying of both whereby teaching and learning of the existing knowledge regarding the arts discipline through research and exploration, new knowledge is created surrounding arts leading to enhancements and innovations in this discipline area.”
Prema sees arts education as vital not only now but in the future too. The proof, she says, lies in the pudding.
“The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in the past years has also focused on arts education recognising it as a central component of holistic and comprehensive education. Additionally, if you look at any of the future job skills required for employability by the World Economic Forum, the top four skills required are attributes of arts education such as imagination, creativity, innovation, flexibility, ideation, etc.”
Due to this, Prema says it’s evident that arts education is equally important for the balance of a nation, socio-economically.
“Universities are also aligned to ensuring the future of arts education with the emergence of the Creative Industry area of study to equip students with a balance between Humanities and Arts to develop a range of skills and knowledge ranging from communication, cinema, music, design, media to marketing.”
