Reflective Practice: Evaluation in Arts Education
RESEO Autumn Conference 2016 Debate and Exchange Day
Why is evaluation essential to certain cultural institutions and of lesser importance to others? Can everything be evaluated? Are there limits to evaluation? How can practices be adapted to individual aims? Can evaluation help the sector to evolve in terms of content, form and funding?
The 20th anniversary of RESEO provided an ideal opportunity to take stock of the arts education sector and its developments. The network’s Autumn Conference 2016 Reflective Practice: Evaluation in Arts Education took place in Paris from 28-30 November, focusing on evaluation with the aim of analysing the achievements, breakthroughs and challenges encountered by the sector over the last twenty years. The Opéra national de Paris, a RESEO founding member, hosted the event and contributed largely to its organisation.
Support from the Fondation Total enabled the conference to be organised on a larger scale than usual. The Professional Practice Days on 28-29 November were attended mainly by RESEO members. The Debate and Exchange Day of 30 November was free of charge and open to the wider public, with three sessions, respectively entitled «Arts Education and Schools: Impact on Young People»; «Arts Education and the Individual: Artistic Practice and Personal Development» and «Creative Learning for All: Arts Education Projects and Local Communities» enabling an in-depth analysis of the conference theme.
This report summarises the discussions that took place during the 30 November Debate and Exchange Day. It was authored by Sabine de Ville. All photos © Paul Roquecave