Professional artists return to school to share creative skills

Western Australian students will benefit from a new initiative to bring professional artists into public schools and universities to share their skills and improve young people's access to quality arts education programs.

Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said WA would receive $280,000 for the first year of the four-year Artists in Residence (AIR) pilot program. This would be the highest amount awarded in Australia.

"Public schools and universities will gain greater access to professional artists by actively engaging students to broaden their experiences, share skills and develop an understanding of the benefits of creative practice," Mr Day said.

The AIR Grants Program will be delivered through ArtsEdge - a strategic art in education partnership between the Department of Culture and the Arts (DCA) and the Department of Education and Training (DET) and will be managed for the Federal Government by the Australia Council for the Arts.

"The AIR Grants Program will be delivered in two streams; short-term residencies spanning a minimum of 30 days; and longer-term collaborations between public schools and arts organisations that have a track record in delivering arts education to schools," Mr Day said.

Education Minister Liz Constable said WA public schools had a long tradition of being actively involved in the arts and these new grants would allow teachers to expand their creative programs.

"Fostering creativity has an impact on all areas of the curriculum from maths and science to technology and the arts, giving school students the skills and confidence to take their place in communities across the world," Ms Constable said.

An AIR Grants Program project must include involvement by at least one professional artist with a minimum of three years experience in their art form.  The artist(s)/arts organisation(s) may work in any art form or combination of art forms including creative writing/literature, dance, design, drama, media (including film, television and radio broadcasting), music and visual arts.

Australia Council for the Arts chief executive officer Kathy Keele said WA was one of the first States to invest in Artists in Residence Grants Program.

"The Artists in Residence program, announced in last year's Federal Government Budget, will help students in WA and across the country engage with the arts more meaningfully and more often," Ms Keele said.

The provision of this funding program enables public schools to further develop existing or create new innovative arts education programs on an individual school basis or combine with other schools and regions to create similar programs.

Full details on the AIR Grants Program, including application forms, are available from the ArtsEdge website http://www.artsedge.dca.wa.gov.au. Applications for projects commencing in Term 2, 2010 close on September 4, 2009.

Office of the Minister for Culture and the Arts - 9213 6600

Office of the Minister for Educaiton - 9222 9699