The Importance of Arts Education in Indigenous Communities
At Yarn we have written many articles about the incredible art that is produced by Indigenous communities and the importance that art and art centres have within remote Indigenous communities. Art and creative learning is also a crucial part of children’s education in these communities. For all populations, creative learning in education, particularly early childhood education has endless benefits. This is particularly true in Indigenous communities. Learning done through the arts has improved learning outcomes, encourages social inclusion, provides a form of self expression and helps maintain and transmit culture to younger generations. Inclusion of arts in education helps create happy and healthy communities (ACER, 2012).
Within all communities, incorporating art and creative learning into early childhood education is hugely important. There are strong links between arts-rich education and students’ academic achievement to overall success. The arts can ensure that curriculums engage and have relevance for all children. Many forms of the arts can be used as universal languages and visual arts is a perfect example. Indigenous Australian art has captured the hearts of people nationally and internationally for decades now, this is because people can connect with these beautiful pieces of art and it doesn’t require an understanding of language. For children in remote Indigenous communities, having ways of expressing themselves and communicating their stories is particularly important. In remote Indigenous communities, children are often faced with a multitude of challenges from economic hardship to literacy struggles because kids often speak multiple languages. For them, art becomes a hugely important form of self-expression and communication (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014).
Yarn’s Community Partners Gunawirra recognise the huge importance of art within early learning and incorporate it into many of their programs. One of their key programs is their Young Aboriginal Mothers group (YAMP). This group works with mothers and children to help them work through intergenerational trauma with the use of art therapy. Art provides an important way for these young mothers and children to process trauma and heal.
Arts are also fundamental in the transmission of culture from one generation to the next. Arts such as dance, visual art and music all carry culture and stories. Preservation of cultural artefacts, telling traditional stories and participation in cultural trails are also ways in which knowledge can be shared. All of the art forms allow elders to pass down knowledge and stories to younger generations. This is crucial for Indigenous communities who have experienced disruptions to cultural continuity through relocation and separation from family. The arts can provide for them to reconnect with culture and for children to learn about their heritage. Traditional visual arts can help increase a sense of country and belonging. First Nations arts practice also plays an important role in the maintenance of traditional languages as stories and features of country can be pointed out through artworks (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014).
One of the most simple and significant benefits to practicing arts is that arts activities have the power to lift one’s mood, this is for everyone of any age. Introducing arts to kids at a young age is a wonderful way of fostering self-expression, identity and providing an emotional outlet. Then once kids grow up they have a sense of themselves and tools for expressing their emotions. This can result in a reduction of anti-social behaviour and crime as the arts provide healthy alternative activities. The teaching of arts plays a huge role in Closing the Gap that exists here within Australia. This is through increasing social inclusion, improved learning outcomes and economic development (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014).
Arts within all educational settings are often cast aside as something that is fun, but not important. However, this is absolutely not the case — as shown through this article — the arts are a fundamental part of education, particularly for young children. Within Indigenous communities, arts activities create engagement, serve a vessel for culture transmission, help create a sense of identity and have a positive impact on people’s mental health and future career prospects.
Here at Yarn, we are passionate about seeing arts continue to grow within Indigenous communities. This is why we support organisations such as Gunawirra who are doing incredible things for the development of young Indigenous people through the power of art.
