The creative arts such as Dance, Art and Design, and Drama can often be pushed aside and labelled less important than other subjects, such as Maths, English and Science.
The creative subjects have therefore had to stand aside and watch on, as funding is allocated to these so-called core subjects. In this article I will discuss; why I believe that the classes categorised as creative arts have finally earned their place as important subjects on both the national school curriculum and after school activities.
We are currently going through uncertain times, where we have all, at some point, had to use our creativity to fix a problem, entertain or generally think outside the box in order to carry on with our everyday life. We have painted our rainbow posters and banners, developed a new confidence for video calling and entertained the world with our TikToc videos. All activities which are classed as creative.
I am not denying the importance of Maths, English and Science, however I believe that the focus right now should be on the mental health and wellbeing of our children not exam results, and this is where creative subjects can help.
The present situation of lockdown is a frustrating and worrying time for us all. Not being able to do the things we like and see the people we love has affected us all in one way or another, children included. We have all had to adjust and face the anxieties this new way of living has brought, and as lockdown gradually lifts and over time we start to get back to some sort of a normal life, new worries and apprehensions will be raised.
As parents, as well as looking after ourselves we also need to be aware of the effects which these changes have caused to our children.
Children may not be able to understand their new feelings or be able to voice their concerns, to the new world they find themselves in. As a result, their behaviour may change, for example, getting into mischief more than usual, shouting and getting angry, clinginess, tearfulness or being withdrawn.
This is where the creative arts fit in. The likes of dance, drama and craft allow our children to express their feelings and emotions and gives them an outlet to vent their frustrations or communicate their worries as well as a method to relax. Sports and other forms of exercise should also be encouraged as they allow us to let off steam and clear our minds in a more controlled manner.
So how can we help and encourage our children to take part in these activities?
For many parents, we are currently taking on the role as teacher in our children’s education. It is therefore imperative that we understand the importance of these creative subjects and be kind to ourselves when we allow our children to bake instead of doing sums, experiment with mixing paint rather than doing science homework, dance to their favourite pop song instead of reading a book or act out stories with their toys instead of writing a piece of literacy work.
As I’ve already mentioned, the core activities are still extremely important in our children’s education, and in fact there are hidden core skills in all of these creative activities, as well as skills that will support and strengthen our children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Going forward we need to continue to appreciate these imaginative and artistic subjects both in school and leisure time, in order for our children to maintain good mental health and wellbeing.
We might not be able to socialise at the moment, however there are still a wide range of creative classes happening all over the internet, from crafting ‘how to’ videos, baby singing and music classes and children’s dance classes, all hosted by fantastically imaginative and creative people.
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