World Art Day: ABCs of Art-Integrated Learning ~Lalit Kishore

Today, it's the World Art Day, which is celebrated annually on April 15th to celebrate and promote art along with remembering the noted artist Leonardo da Vinci on his birthday. Coordinated by UNESCO, the observance aims to raise awareness about the importance of art and artistic expression in our lives.

UNESCO states, "Art nurtures creativity, innovation and cultural diversity for all peoples across the globe and plays an important role in sharing knowledge and encouraging curiosity and dialogue. These are qualities that art has always had, and will always have if we continue to support environments where artists and artistic freedom are promoted and protected. In this way, furthering the development of art also furthers our means to achieve a free and peaceful world."

In schools, the observance must promote art integrated learning as being advocated for both the NCERT and CBSE under NEP=2023.

An AI Overview on 'Art Integration' describes numerous benefits that 'enhance student learning by fostering creativity, critical thinking, and engagement, while also boosting academic performance and social-emotional skills.'

Here are ABCs of art-integrated learning

A: Academic Performance enhancement since art integration can improve understanding and retention of concepts across various subjects by making learning more engaging and experiential.

B: Basis of visual literacy with is central to 21st century skills to express and explore ideas by think outside the box and better cultural awareness

C: Collaboration between people with expertise between various art forms to make communication multi-modal and effective

D: Development of Problem-Solving Skills and communication skills by exploring various mediums

E: Exploring different art forms and styles from various cultures promotes understanding and appreciation of diversity leading to inclusive education