Artists in Schools Protocols

Here are the protocols that Creative New Zealand has established for artists who wish to offer arts education programmes to schools. Schools should be aware of these protocols when planning collaborative learning experiences with artists, as outlined in Links with Artists in the Community, The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, page 103.

Programmes involving professional artists in schools should:

• Provide students with direct access to an art form

• Communicate directly with students about the work of an artist

• Extend arts programmes already provided by schools

• Foster learning which crosses artform disciplines and curriculum boundaries

• Stimulate students and teachers to participate more actively in an art form

• Encourage teachers to learn together with their students

• Demonstrate specialist disciplines, skills and creative processes

• Provide a role model for ways in which artists contribute to their local communities and to the cultural identity of New Zealand

• Highlight vocational opportunities in or related to the arts

• Foster in students a life-long enthusiasm for the arts

Professional artists working in a school environment should:

• Recognise that working in schools involves ethical and professional responsibilities in the way they interact with students and in the kinds of material presented to them

• Recognise that teachers' skills as art educators complement those of the practitioner - both are important to students' learning

• Present work of high educational and artistic quality

• Have skills in working with young people

• Be genuinely interested in how young people learn through experience of an art form

• Target material carefully to appropriate age levels

• Present a programme which reflects bicultural awareness

• Pay attention to gender balance in their material and interactions with students

• Respect the cultural backgrounds and values of all students and teachers

• Enable students with special needs to participate

• Involve students and teachers actively in their programme rather than only as passive viewers

• Include student participation, if appropriate, which is purposeful and relevant to the educational aims of the programme

• Assist students to see the relevance of an arts programme to their daily lives

• Be aware of work in their art form that may already be undertaken by the schools

• Know that in schools with successful arts programmes students may already be skilled in their art form

• Be open to constructive evaluation by teachers and students

Professional artists working in schools can expect:

• The school to have an arts policy which identifies the relevance of the work of professional community artists to the school curriculum, and has the support of all teachers, not only those who teach the arts

• Teachers and students to respect visiting artists as professionals who provide a valuable educational resource

• Courtesy and access to appropriate school facilities

• That teachers have prepared their students for the artist's programme

• That teachers will be present, participate as appropriate, and provide unobtrusive supervision

Practical Considerations:
The involvement of professional community artists in a school's programme will be more effective and successful if:

• There are high standards of professionalism

• The artists provide publicity material with clear and accurate information on the programme, including:

1. its subject matter, theme or relevance to curriculum areas

2. the specific age range for which it is suitable

3. the minimum and maximum number of students to participate

4. the full cost (expressed as a flat fee or on a per student basis) and identifies GST (as inclusive or exclusive).

5. any cancellation fee that is required and on what conditions

6. details of the artists' training and previous experience in schools work

• The school has a committee of teachers from different arts subjects who co-ordinate and plan the visits

• There is a clear written agreement between the artists and the school that covers:

1. the date, time and venue

2. the cost and arrangements for payment

3. the number of students involved

4. equipment of facilities to be provided by the school

5. details of any cancellations fee required

6. the arrival time when access requirements for the venue

7. the name of a contact teacher who will liaise with the artists

• The artist provides

1. pre-programme information in time for teachers to prepare their students

2. follow up resource material allowing teachers to integrate the visit into the classroom programmes

• All confirmed arrangements are kept or adequate notice given of unavoidable alterations

• Prompt payment of the amount confirmed on the booking form (or, if necessary, payment of the cancellation fee according to conditions stipulated on the booking form)

• There is opportunity for both parties to make well-considered, constructive, evaluation on the programme