Thinking back to my education growing up, some of the fondest and brightest memories that come to mind revolve around my arts experiences. From learning how to play the clarinet, to rocking out to the Beatles in an air band competition, the inter-arts helped me come out of my shell.
In addition to simply being a great time, arts education has tons of benefits for developing youth. We’re going to go over the top 5 reasons art education is vital to success and wellbeing.
1. Art Allows Youth to Express their Creativity
One of the best things about art is that it is inclusive to all. Every person taking part in an artistic experience is able to make it their own using their creativity. When exposed to the arts, youth tap into their innovative side to think out of the box. This is a skill that is helpful not only during development, but also later in life!
2. Motor Skill Development
Art, in any form, is a hands-on experience. From using a paintbrush to create a piece of visual art, to acting out a skit with props, arts assist in developing fine motor skills. This is an important part of youth development, and can be reinforced through arts education.
3. Perseverance Teaches Patience
When learning and building on an artistic skill, youth can develop their patience and perseverance. Arts, like any skill, need to be practiced often to improve. By dedicating time to working on their artistic skill, youth can learn patience. This is a trait that can serve them well later in life.
4. It Builds Social Connection
The arts require team-work and connection to work well. In arts groups such as band, choir and theatre, youth are able to build personal connection and experience collaboration. This helps to form problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Almost everything we do as adults requires these skills and developing them early-on can help lead a youth to success.
5. It Makes You Happy
Last, but possibly the most important reason, is that the arts make youths happy. Research has found a strong link between arts experiences and improved mental health. In fact, a recent study from The University of Western Australia found that participating in the arts for just two hours a week can improve mental health. Art gives people an outlet to express their emotions, something that is super important for our mental wellbeing!
Fuse’s Educator Suite is an online solution for music educators world-wide. The platform offers videos 5-45 minutes in length, all with supplementary materials to help make music education fun and accessible in your classroom, including:
Multi-media content
Lesson plans rooted in true learning principles and curricula
Exclusive segments from our multi-arts programs
Board-wide pricing
Interested in learning more about our Educator Suite? Visit www.fuseart.org/education. Click here to visit request a free trial of our platform!