We should take art, music, cinema and reading very seriously because they are tools through which we face different visions of our reality.
Joke Hermsen
The webinar "More time and space for art in education" by Dutch author-philosopher Joke Hermsen was held on December 8. The event was part of the Arts & Dialogue festival series organized by the UC Leuven Limburg research groups Inclusive Society in Art of Teaching as part of the European BE (P) ART project. The session hosted 337 subscribers of which 89 students and 248 external people (mainly teachers, educational policy-makers and art educators but also citizens interested in art).
During her webinar, she showed why we need love, attention, tranquility and cultural expression - music, art, literature - to keep our melancholy from turning into depression. Time is an important theme in her work, and we live at odds with time, which increases anxiety, fear and uncertainty. This requires a thorough rethinking of time and man. Who are we? How do we still find peace for inner reflection? How do we free time from the economic rat race we put it in ourselves?
Joke Hermsen therefore likes to make the link with education. She argues for more time and money for art in education and is convinced that children need art, music and literature as much as they need bread. Her latest book, Ogenblik & eeuwigheid. Meer tijd voor de kunst (Moment & Eternity, More time for art) was recently published in November 2020. It is an ardent plea for more time and money for art and art education. Keywords are reflection and inspiration, creative and sustainable leadership, commitment and togetherness.
Stream of the webinar (in Dutch) available until 8/01/2021.
