6.5.2010   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 117/23

A.

whereas the European Union, true to its motto ‘United in diversity’, should acknowledge its common history, and can do so through the history of European art because of its intrinsic universal nature,

B.

whereas schools should once again become the main place for democratising access to culture,

C.

whereas artistic and cultural education, of which image education forms a part, is an essential element in the educational system of the Member States,

D.

whereas artistic and cultural education is an essential component in the education of children and young people, since it contributes to the development of free will, sensitivity and openness to others; whereas it is a key issue in equal opportunities and a precondition for truly democratising access to culture,

E.

whereas in order to meet the challenge of democratising access to culture, it is necessary to promote artistic awareness at all levels and at all ages, to recognise the importance of group and amateur artistic activities, and to promote access to education in the arts,

F.

whereas, regrettably, Member States too often feel compelled by economic imperatives to reduce the place given to the arts in overall education policy,

G.

whereas artistic education is the basis for professional training in the field of the arts and promotes creativity, as well as physical and intellectual development in that sphere, encouraging closer and more productive links between education, culture and the arts,

H.

whereas schools and centres for art and design education help to develop philosophies, to create new artistic styles and movements and to open up different cultural worlds, which strengthens the European Union's image in the world,

I.

whereas training is very important for the success of professionals in the artistic and creative sector,

J.

whereas artistic studies that focus on developing a career and profession require of the students, in addition to talent, a solid cultural basis that can only be acquired through multidisciplinary and systematic training; whereas this increases the opportunities for access to employment in the sector, in so far as it provides a general education, a research methodology, entrepreneurial abilities and business knowledge, as well as skills in various areas of activity which are relevant to contemporary art,

K.

whereas the economic potential and potential in terms of employment represented by creative, cultural and artistic companies and industries in the European Union have a great influence on the development of the artistic sector,

L.

whereas the technological revolution has resulted in increased competitiveness within and between countries, and that this has meant that intellectual capabilities and creativity occupy a dominant place within the Lisbon Strategy,

M.

whereas the rapid and constant changes taking place within our societies require increased adaptability, flexibility, creativity, innovation and communication between people in the work sphere; whereas these qualities should be promoted by the education and training systems in the various Member States, in accordance with the objectives of the above-mentioned Education and Training 2010 programme,

N.

whereas account should be taken of the fact that there are significant disparities between the existing artistic education models in the various Member States,

O.

whereas account should be taken of the fact that, as a result of globalisation and the increased mobility of citizens, as well as the successive enlargements of the European Union, education on culture and on its diversity is an important element in preserving identity and promoting intercultural and inter-religious understanding; whereas the objectives of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue of raising awareness of and promoting culture should continue beyond 2008,

1.

Considers that artistic education should be a compulsory element in syllabuses at all school levels, in order to promote democratisation of access to culture;

2.

Stresses the importance in both school curricula and vocational training and lifelong learning programmes of continuing courses to promote and develop creativity at all ages as part of the process of lifelong learning;

3.

Recalls that one of the aims of artistic and cultural education is to contribute to civic education and that one of its roles is to enhance our capacity to think and to contribute to personal development in intellectual, emotional and physical terms;

4.

Acknowledges the role of the arts as an important contributor to innovation in society and the economy within the European Year of Creativity & Innovation 2009;

5.

Draws the attention of the Council and the Member States to the role of European culture and its diversity as a factor in integration, and the importance of artistic and cultural education at European level, including the safeguarding of traditional cultural values in different regions;

6.

Notes that ever-increasing numbers of students of art subjects are interested in pursuing their studies in a Member State other than their own and, as a result, encourages the Member States to coordinate their policies with regard to artistic education at European Union level, to exchange best practices and to increase mobility of both students and teachers in this sector;

7.

Suggests improving the mobility of professionals in the artistic sector through increased attention to the issue of recognition of qualifications. This should be done by encouraging training institutions and employers to relate to the European Qualifications Framework, so that competences and qualifications in the sector can be compared at the European level;

8.

Urges the Commission in this connection to work together with the Member States in establishing a mobility framework for Europeans engaged in artistic and creative activity, with particular emphasis on mobility for young artists and students of art subjects;

9.

Whilst recognising that this is a matter for the Member States, considers that policies on artistic education ought to be coordinated at EU level, particularly in relation to:

10.

Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to:

11.

Insists that the teaching of art history must also involve encounters with artists and visits to places of culture, so as to arouse curiosity and provoke reflexion on the part of students;

12.

Emphasises the importance of using the resources provided by new information and communication technologies and the Internet as channels for modern teaching geared to contemporary practice when introducing the artistic dimension into school curricula;

13.

Stresses in this respect the essential contribution of enterprises such as Europeana, the European digital library;

14.

Recommends that a European portal for artistic and cultural education be developed jointly and that artistic education be included in the Member States' educational curricula, in order to safeguard the development and promotion of the European cultural model, which is especially prized internationally;

15.

Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to monitor progress in incorporating artistic education into school curricula; suggests in particular to the Commission that it promote studies needed to produce reliable information on the impact of such teaching on the level of education and competences of students in the European Union;

16.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.