The Art of Education: New Competencies for the Creative Workforce

Abstract

This article is a summary of a longer study entitled Educating for the Creative Workforce: Rethinking Arts and Education, commissioned by the Australia Council as part of its research partnership with the Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation. That study analyses the claims for the role of the arts in education, concentrating on empirical research studies that looked at arts education programs and sought to explore whether, and how, they can contribute to contemporary approaches to education for the ‘creative workforce’. In line with the focus of this special issue, this paper seeks to draw parallels between this debate and that on digital literacy. In both cases, we look at how these areas are said to contribute to the skills and competencies required for the contemporary workforce, the differences between formal and informal approaches to skill acquisition, and the degree to which both areas are often surrounded by notions of empowerment.

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