UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning
On 6 July, 2007, a UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning was established at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. This was the first UNESCO Chair in the field of arts education in the world, and remains one of only two to be approved by UNESCO to date. The mandate of the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning is to promote access to and quality of arts education through research, communication and collaboration, in alignment with the UNESCO priorities for education, culture and sustainable development. It collaborates with other UNESCO Chairs and Observatories in Canada and around the world.
On 13 December 2016, UNESCO approved ARC founding member, Dr. Benjamin Bolden, as the new Chair holder, following his nomination and appointment by Queen’s University. In his role as Past Chair, Professor Emeritus Larry O’Farrell continues to support Dr. Bolden and the current and future initiatives of the Chair.
In 2017 the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning at Queen’s University was instrumental in initiating and became a signatory member of the UNESCO UNITWIN network “Arts Education Research for Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development.”
Recent Chair Activities
Arts for Transformative Education
This guide invites teachers to harness the transformative power of the arts through the research-informed Arts for Transformative Education model. This thinking tool for teachers was developed by analysing data from more than 600 teachers across 39 countries in the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet). The model identifies four dimensions of arts learning experiences: Context, Actions, Relevance, and Outcomes. The model also recognizes special affordances associated with the arts that can enhance learning experiences.
Access the full guide here.
Arts Education for Sustainable Development: A Showcase of Projects
The UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning is inviting submissions from arts educators across Canada and worldwide to be included in an online showcase of arts education projects that address one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To learn more about the showcase and how to submit a project, click here.
Visions of Sustainability for Arts Education
Yearbook of Arts Education Research for Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development, Vol. 2
This yearbook series stems from the research trajectory of the UNESCO UNITWIN international network for Arts Education Research for Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development. This volume of the yearbook includes:
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Global perspectives on arts education research, practices and pedagogies in relation to sustainable development
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Analyses of policy implications at national, region and global levels
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Discussions around the development of theoretical and practical action frameworks that encompass a comprehensive view of the arts