Risky choices: the dilemmas of introducing contemporary art practices into schools

Abstract

Contemporary art is a popular feature of the cultural landscape in the United Kingdom, and recent research has recommended introducing its practices into state education. Yet these practices are still rare in schools, and this paper argues that the many difficulties that arise from attempts to introduce them are indicative of their socially contingent character, which threatens to disrupt the ideological underpinnings of orthodox school practices. The school art projects 'Room 13' and 'Teaching through contemporary art' are used as prominent examples of contemporary art practices that support a relatively high degree of learner autonomy within state education, yet are situated outside of government initiatives. Through these projects the paper explores the dilemmas that the participants face, which include questions of learner agency, choice and creative risk, and the effects of regulatory assessment systems upon collaboration, experiment, play and ephemeral learning outcomes. The paper concludes by examining the possibilities of encouraging these more 'risky' contemporary practices in schools.

Sliding subject positions: knowledge and teacher educators

“…Thus, Nisha was forced to operate to a rather confusing, hybrid model, which oscillated between the previous framework, which ‘highlights creativity and risk taking as well as other areas that are fundamental to Art education and cultural understanding’, and the revised national curriculum, which is ‘one page I think’ and ‘very concise’ on ‘what is meant by some of the issues and learning experiences that are very important to our subject’. Surprisingly therefore, the shorter, less specified new framework was more restricting in Nisha's eyes, precisely because it ran the risk of ignoring fundamental pedagogical concepts specific to Art (see for example, Adams, , ). As she explained: ‘I'm very worried we're going to lose creativity and risk taking’.…”

The ensemble domesticated: Mapping issues of autonomy and power in performing arts projects in schools

“…A cultural arbitrary prevails because it is the expression of the interests of a ruling social group, which must be internalised by those subjected to it in such a way that these very power relations, and the dominance of the ruling group, remain concealed. (Adams, 2010: 684)…”

“…This nature, he argues, by necessity reveals and disrupts the dominant power structures that normative schooling relies on in reproducing the status quo. Adams’ thesis is that creative arts practices are inherently difficult to integrate into schools because of their ‘socially contingent character, which threatens to disrupt the ideological underpinnings of orthodox school practice’ (Adams, 2010: 683).…”

“…The result is that collaborative arts endeavours remain marginalised. Further, he argues that any which do manage to become central and ‘legitimate’, such as those supported by specific government policy initiatives, become ‘compliant’ ‘instrument[s] of neoliberal discourse’ (Adams, 2010: 686): i.e. domesticated.…”

Teaching Contemporary Art in Primary Schools

“…Creative production in contemporary art practice may have none of the homogenising characteristics commonly found in school practices, and may instead be revered for features in direct opposition to those necessary for regulative assessment, in that they may be collaborative and heterogeneous and subversively critical, and lacking in any tangible object or even the residue of an event. (Adams 2010) What is apparent is that the emphasis in school art is still formal and object based. However, more investigation will be needed to fully understand the difficulties faced in introducing contemporary art in primary schools in Singapore.…”