Ávarp Katrínar Jakobsdóttur á ráðstefnunni Drama Boreale Nordic Network Conference sem haldin var 6. ágúst 2012 í Háskóla Íslands við Stakkahlíð.

Dear conference guests,

I would like to start by thanking those responsible for Drama Boreale for the opportunity of addressing this conference.

Although it is the seventh which the Drama Boreale Nordic Network has held, it is the first such conference to take place in Iceland. It was organised by FLÍSS, the Icelandic Drama Association, working together with the School of Education of the University of Iceland. FLÍSS has cooperated with the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture by helping with policy formulation, curricula development and additional aspects.

In 2006, UNESCO published its so-called Road Map for Arts Education, presenting results from the World Conference on Arts Education. As a guide to 21^st-century artistic studies, the Road Map states for instance this:  "... among the most important 21^st-century challenges is an increasing need for creativity and imagination in multicultural societies – which arts education can address efficiently". 

Numerous studies throughout the world have shown that education in the arts has a positive impact on education in general. Such studies reveal the benefits of encouraging and strengthening artistic studies. Participation in art activities will benefit children considerably later in life, while also adding to their development and enjoyment. Creativity, cooperation and the arts lead to stronger individuals who seem to be more capable of understanding other people. In addition, these individuals can concentrate and achieve their goals more easily. In Iceland, a study named Drama for Learning and Creativity (with the Icelandic name shortened to SNÍGL) sought answers as to whether drama would affect a child's learning. The conclusions were that theatre methods are suitable for students with learning difficulties, as well as those for whom Icelandic is a second language. Moreover, drama as a teaching approach seems capable of reaching out to boys and their needs.

In the academic year 2008-2009, the Ministry had an extensive survey carried out on the status of arts education in the Icelandic school system. According to this survey, the arts education provided here was good on an international scale, and also enjoyed wide support among both parents and society as a whole. On the other hand, the Icelandic educational system placed more emphasis on developing abilities and knowledge in a few individual art forms, such as music and the visual arts, and perhaps less emphasis on other forms of art, such as dance, drama, photography and film production.

This research also noted a need to distinguish between educating within the artistic fields themselves, such as drama, and educating through the arts. Educating through the arts would involve using the arts or artistic methodology to teach other subjects, for example mathematics or reading. While school education in the various art forms naturally has to be effective in itself, artistic and creative methods also need to be integrated into the teaching and learning of other subjects. No matter what the field of study, schools need to promote and develop the creative aspect of their work, with added emphasis on creative teaching methods. 

Currently, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is working to introduce a new educational policy, in part by reviewing and publishing new national curricula for preschools, compulsory schools and upper secondary schools, based on recent legislation concerning these three levels. The General Section of the curricula for all three levels appeared last year, and now subject curricula are being prepared for compulsory schools. For example, the Ministry review has given consideration to the studies and assessments on arts education which I have already mentioned. These showed a general need for improving the role and status of creative activities in the school system.

The national curricula define six fundamental pillars of education, each related in appropriate ways to the different legislation regarding preschools, compulsory schools and upper secondary schools. These fundamental pillars involve the students becoming literate in society, culture, nature and the environment, as well as their acquiring a future vision. The pillars also involve the ability and desire to be influential and to take part in maintaining, changing and developing society. Furthermore, these pillars are intended to highlight the main aspects of general education and to contribute to greater continuity in all school activities. The fundamental pillars of education are these six: literacy in a broad sense, sustainability, equality, creativity, health and welfare, democracy and human rights.

The national curricula for the pre-, compulsory and upper secondary levels discuss the manifold value of arts education in schools, as well as providing the conditions for creative work and for a broad, diverse arts education in school operations. Some of the more important aspects are an increased emphasis on the importance of an arts education within education as a whole, on the fundamental pillar of creativity, on competence objectives in arts subjects in compulsory schools, on a special upper secondary school study programme in the arts, and on additional flexibility in school activities.

At last I would like to say that even though the creative process is no less important than the final theatrical product, students very much need the chance to present the results of their work.  If every member of a school community participates actively in events such as putting on a play, this will strengthen the school's situation in equality and democracy, while also nurturing school spirit and the feelings of unity among students. Schools at every academic level have developed traditions of putting on ambitious plays which require preparation for a major part of the academic year, as well as the broad participation of students, school staff and parents. In projects of this sort, students get an opportunity to create and interpret, while also experiencing the value of an arts education both for themselves and – just as significantly – for society as a whole. With this in mind, we see the outstanding importance of drama and expression for school activities, and the clear significance of arts subjects for a basic education.

Dear conference guests!

The theme of the conference beginning today is the ancient symbolism of the four elements: Earth - Air - Water - Fire, along with the underlying theme of humour in teaching. While legislation and the national curriculum for each of the various school levels build a framework for their activities, the laws and curricula also create opportunities for local authorities, the schools themselves, teachers and other parties in the school community to show their own initiative in shaping school activities and developing course offerings and methods of instruction.

It is my hope as well as my conviction that you who are attending this conference will be able to enjoy interesting discussions on creative teaching methods, will learn a great deal from each other and will in this way contribute to the growth of drama and dramatic expression as a focal point of school work – an instrument for interpretation and expression in every school activity, penetrating all subject lines and fields of study.

May you have a good time and may all go well!