A new platform wants to change Czech education

The ART platform initiative wants to turn primary and secondary school learning into a unique experience as well as strengthen and diversify children’s competencies. Among the many collaborating experts and organizations is AAU faculty member, Jaroslav Anděl.

The platform is still a young enterprise. It started to form in 2018 via the initiative of Marianna Sršňová, then director of SPKV. 

We felt the need to be in touch with organizations that work on a similar basis as we do. We want to support networking and mutual cooperation. This eventually resulted in the creation of a platform for art organizations active in education. The interest in cooperation and joining forces is significant because it is much more effective to speak with one voice.

Marianna Sršňová

Advocacy is the main task of the platform, but not the only one. It turns out that it is necessary to focus on a wide range of activities that are mutually supportive. So how to is the vision of the platform fulfilled? In addition to the appeal to the educational policy of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) and municipal policy, it is the popularization of the topic and PR, as well as the necessary research collecting data on the results and impacts of creative education. 

In short, the platform wants to have an effective impact on both the professional and general public, including politics. There are currently four working groups on the platform focusing on advocacy, promo and PR, networking, and research.

foto: SPKV

Members of the ART platform: 
Society for Creativity in Education, SE.S.TA Center for Choreographic Development, Dance Prague, Kvas  (Jihlava educates culture), DOX Center for Contemporary Art, UUUL – Children’s Museum, ARA ART, Jaroslav Raušer (Institute of Modern Music)

Platform partners ART: 
Institute of Arts – Theater Institute , Creative Czech Republic , Creative Prague, Center for Environmental Issues, Charles University

Collaborating organizations and experts: 
NIPOS, National Gallery in Prague, Czech Music Council, Artedu, Archa Theater, UN Information Office, Markéta Pastorová (National Institute for Education), Jaroslav Anděl (Anglo-American University)

This news is based on an article in Czech language by Kateřina Přidalová . To learn more please read the original article.

Jaroslav Anděl is a Distinguished Senior Lecturer at AAU and interdisciplinary seminars for Visual Art Studies and Humanities. He studied photography at FAMU and history of art at Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague. In 1980s he moved to the United States where he worked as an exhibition organizer, critic and art books author. In 1996-1998 Anděl became a director of Modern and Contemporary Art Museum of National Gallery in Veletržní palác in Prague. He is the author of numerous publications and exhibitions on modern and contemporary art. Worked as a curator, consultant, museum director, and educator. He is the Founding Artistic Director, DOX, Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague and often participates in national and international discussion panels related to culture democracy and education.

Below is an interesting example – a keynote discussion from the most exciting urban design festival in Europe – reSite festival, held each year in Prague, between Jaroslav Anděl and Jon Gnarr.