A New Approach to EducationOne of the greatest gifts a school can give to students is an appreciation of the arts. It opens the door to creativity, imagination and innovation and students can grow into adults who support the cultural life of Ireland and are open to the cultural lives of other countries.
It is considered so important in education that it is specifically mentioned in Article 27 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Article 27 explicitly points out that everyone has a right to 'participate in the cultural life of the country, and to enjoy the arts.' Our experience at ETSS Wicklow is that students who sign up for Artistic Performance have a really great time because they are actively engaged in lots of group activities from writing dialogues to preparing for performances. The confidence students gain is remarkable and one of the most attractive things about this subject is the transferable skills gained - collaboration, teamwork, learning the importance of planning and preparation.
Students learn that Artistic Performance allows them to express meanings and interpretations to their classmates and to audiences who attend their performances. Students are challenged to get out of their comfort zone and the result is the great prize is the great satisfaction of seeing their ideas move from concept to delivery.