Insights | Witches, wizards and why an arts education matters

 

Michael Larsen-Disney

Director of Arts
 

Today's economy places a high premium on STEM and traditional core subject education. This sometimes comes at the expense of the arts. But make no mistake: an arts education is essential to helping our pupils become well-rounded adults. Even pupils who are not artistically inclined stand to benefit from it. The arts teach our children several important and highly transferrable life skills — what I like to call 'future skills' — such as creativity, communication and collaboration. These will serve your child well regardless of what path they choose in life.

The arts and creativity are not just the impetus for beautiful paintings, dance or songs, they often, as they say, imitate life. Creativity is finding new ways of thinking about things in the environment and world around us infused with our own interpretation through expression. In addition, creativity drives problem solving and innovation. Likewise, the ability to communicate clearly is essential in any modern workplace, be it a classroom, a boardroom or on stage. Naturally, communication skills go hand-in-hand with one's ability to collaborate effectively as part of a team.

Whether it is Google, Goldman Sachs or Broadway, there is not a single organisation out there that does not value 'future skills'. And there is no successful person out there that does not excel in at least two of them.

But an arts education is not just about acquiring skills for the future. It is also about gaining perspective on the past and present. The arts provide a conduit through which we can teach our pupils everything from culture and history to maths and biomechanics. Moreover, pursuing an art, whether it is painting, singing, dancing or acting brings with it a powerful component of personal improvement. It instils in our pupils the values of self-reflection, discipline and resilience, all of which are critical to building self-confidence and essential to how our pupils develop as young people and take on the challenges of adult life.

Our upcoming performance calendar will provide our pupils with more than ample opportunities for such enriching challenges. Next month from 17 to 19 March, our Senior School pupils will take to the stage with their production of The Wiz. This classic Broadway musical brings the funk, soul and sounds of Motown to the Land of Oz where witches and the powerful wizard await the well-known and loved characters of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion as they ‘ease on down’ the yellow brick road.

Meanwhile, Wellington instrumentalists will showcase their appreciation for the classics with our Classical Concert on 28 March. And for our annual Lent concerts at the end of March, our pupils from Pre-Prep to Senior School, along with our parent-teacher choir will pay tribute to The Beatles. Not long after, in the Summer term, our pupils in Upper Prep will put on their presentation of the Tony-award winning musical Guys & Dolls, with our Lower Prep children performing a stage play rendition of that timeless fairy tale Goldilocks.