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Description of initiative
Art Testers is the largest culture education program in Finland, offering all eighth-graders (ages 13 to 14) and their teachers 1–2 annual visits in esteemed cultural institutions. Annually, the program reaches over 65,000 people in all Finnish municipalities. The visits are part of schoolwork and therefore offered equally to every eighth-grader in Finland - regardless of their socio-economic background, place of residence, special needs, wealth of their municipality, or their teacher’s interests.
The core goal of the Art Testers concept is to offer young people equal, accessible, and unforgettable experiences in art and to find them tools to form well-versed opinions on their experience. What did they think? Would they revisit? After the visit, the students are asked to review their art experience with a browser-based app. The reviews are then published on the Art Testers website for everyone to see.
The visits are accompanied with pedagogic materials provided by the art institutions. These pre- and post-visit materials include information about the event, the particular art form, and the individual artists behind the work. All this makes it easier for young people to approach art and enjoy the visits, even if the art forms and their traditions were completely new to them.
At the art visits, the students learn many skills that will be important for them in the future, such as critical thinking, perspective taking, self-expression, empathy, and interaction with others. The experiences can also provoke the eighth-graders to reflect on the concepts of right and wrong, virtues and values, or what constitutes a good life.
Themes: Culture and...
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Results, benefits, impact and lessons learnt
Two significant factors can be identified in making the young person’s art experience successful. The first one is the attitude and contribution of the teacher towards the visit: positive attitude is contagious! The second factor is the quality of the pre- and post-visit assignments produced by the art institution, as well as the teachers’ dedication in completing them with the students.
The pre-work materials created by the art institutions help young people prepare for the art visit. During the pre-work phase, the students receive information about the art form, the particular work of art, and how it was composed and made. The students need to be introduced both to the art form and the particular work of art in order for them to be able to enjoy it and be moved by the experience. In addition, the cultural institution can provide the students with a tour behind the scenes to familiarize them with the workings of the institution, or even ask the students to join the creative process of the work of art they are going to experience during the visit.
Post-visit work is especially important if some elements during the art visit are somehow provocative or carry a challenging theme. The thoughts and feelings evoked by the experience can be discussed together with the representatives of the art institution or the teacher. The post-work phase provides an opportunity to learn to identify, name, process and control even difficult or conflicting emotions in a constructive manner.
The task of reviewing is an important part of our concept: in addition to receiving an art experience, a young person has a chance to practice how to form a well-reasoned opinion on his/her experience. The ratings and reviews given by the students will be published on the Art Testers’ web page in real time for anyone to see. This emphasizes our strong message that the opinions of the youth are valid, valuable and sought after.