There is growing concern that creative subjects such as art, music and drama are being side-lined in schools in favour of other subjects. However, creative education is also seen as a crucial step in developing skills in young children. This is especially relevant in the city of Dundee, where skilled creative people are needed to support our growing creative industries.
So how do we make sure arts education is delivered in a way that benefits children’s development?
Dr Anna Robb from the University of Dundee, joined us at Dundee Arts Café to discuss including the voices of primary school children when developing school lessons and careers advice for the future. This presentation draws on research focused on young children’s experiences of visual art in the home and at school, as well as in the local community and across the city. Anna gave examples of how our relationships with school subjects, such as art, inform our identities from an early age.
You can read more on this study from Anna and colleagues in the research paper
Yet, concrete action to protect people in war zones and conflicts frequently fails to live up expectations.
We are currently facing a grave climate emergency. Unless we take urgent action, the increase in global temperature threatens human society and all life on our planet. It’s a daunting thought, but what can we do about it?
our shores from the other side of the Atlantic tell the story of a country dealing with the aftermath of a tragic mass shooting. The USA’s complex relationship with guns can be traced back to the Empire, the fight for independence and the American constitution.
Many observers of Russian politics have been perplexed by the high levels of popular support which President Putin has been able to command. This is despite the fact the he has centralised power in the Kremlin, reduced the powers of the parliament and the opposition, and led an assault on democratic freedoms and civil liberties.
video games in our childhood, and continue to be video games fans to this day. The sights, sounds, and styles of classic games such as Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros. or Doom have impacted on everything from graphic design and fashion to music and film. But perhaps fewer of us have considered the extent to which video games engage more widely with collective and cultural memory.
This summer has seen the streets of Dundee populated by a waddle of colourful penguin sculptures commissioned by Maggie’s Dundee, a charity that supports people and families affected by cancer. The penguin sculpture was designed by Janice Aitken and each one has been decorated with individual designs by a wonderful range of artists and designers. The finale of this fantastic venture is the auction in September, making the penguin parade both an excellent fundraising initiative and a fantastic awareness raising project for the charity.
Each year, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design is transformed into Scotland’s largest exhibition space. The 10 day event showcases the work of over 350 of the University of Dundee’s graduating art, design and architecture students. At the Degree Show, thousands of visitors see the products of years of creativity and hard work in an exciting show spanning the areas of design and craft, contemporary art practice, social digital, graphic communication and architecture.