A warming headline I read recently on the ArtsHub newsletter that I subscribe to.
I loved the quotes throughout the article, the rationale for the change in the structure of the school awards framework.
“[is]…to encourage greater student participation and engagement.”
“Head of the aesthetics department at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ Secondary School (PLMGSS), Adeline Loh, puts it simply: “I think our kids must be exposed to culture. I think that is part and parcel of being human, and it develops the soul.”
Oh yes indeed it does! Exposure to culture is a fantastic way to grow appreciation for the things that do in fact make us human – story, aesthetics, empathy, humour, play, imagination…the list could go on!
Principal Abdul Mannan Mohd Ibrahim from Ang Mo Kio Secondary School said of the program,”We found that the students have become a lot more confident, even the students who were very timid. After one-and-a-half years of training, they really blossomed. They are confident enough to put up a show in front of everybody and that’s very gratifying from our point of view.”
For anybody wondering of the benefits of arts participation, rest assured that Artful Genius is ever vigilant in seeking mounting evidence for you!