Policy Review: Childlike Joy – Participation and Perspectives on the Arts of Irish Youth
Keywords:
arts participation, youth well-being, cultural engagement, arts educationAbstract
This review examines the impact of arts and cultural participation on the well-being of Irish youth, focusing on three key reports: The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon Report on Children, Young People and the Arts; Engagement in culture, arts, heritage and sport by young people in Northern Ireland: Findings from the Young Persons’ Behaviour and Attitudes Survey 2022; and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Creative Schools Partnership Evaluation Report 2022. These documents highlight the diverse ways in which arts engagement enhances the lives of young people, and how children and young people perceive the role of the arts in their lives. The findings all confirm the necessity of integrating young voices into policy frameworks and the power of community-driven arts and culture initiatives, and the need for sustained support and innovation in nurturing arts and culture for the next generation.
References
Annabel Jackson Associates Ltd. (2022). Creative Schools Partnership Evaluation Report: November 2022. Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Available at: https://artscouncil-ni.s3-assets.com/Creative-Schools-Partnership-Evaluation-November-2022.pdf [Accessed July 2024].
Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon (2023a). Ag fás leis na healaíona/Growing with the Arts: Arts Council Policy for Children and Young People’s Arts. Arts Council of Ireland. Available at: https://www.artscouncil.ie/uploadedFiles/YPCE%20Policy.pdf [Accessed July 2024].
Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon (2023b). The Report on Children, Young People and the Arts. Arts Council of Ireland. Available at: https://www.artscouncil.ie/uploadedFiles/wwwartscouncilie/Content/Arts_in_Ireland/Young_people,_children_and_education/Report_on_Children_Young_People_and_the_Arts.pdf [Accessed July 2024].
Arts Council of Northern Ireland (2018). Creative Schools Partnership: Year 1 Review. Arts Council of Ireland. Available at: https://niopa.qub.ac.uk/bitstream/NIOPA/10446/1/Creative-Schools-Partnership-Pilot-Year-Review-September-2018.pdf [Accessed July 2024].
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Lynch, Sally, McDonnell, Therese, Leahy, Daniel, Gavin, Blánaid and McNicholas, Fiona (2023). Prevalence of mental health disorders in children and adolescents in the Republic of Ireland: a systematic review. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 40, 51-62.
McGorry, Patrick D., Mei, Cristina, Chanen, Andrew, Hodges, Craig, Alvarez-Jimenez, Mario and Killackey, Eóin (2022). Designing and scaling up integrated youth mental health care. World Psychiatry, 21, 61-76.
Northern Irish Statistics and Research Agency[ NISRA]/ Department of Communities (2023). Engagement in culture, arts, heritage and sport by young people in Northern Ireland: Findings from the Young Persons’ Behaviour and Attitudes Survey 2022. NISRA. Available at: https://datavis.nisra.gov.uk/communities/engagement-culture-arts-heritage-sport-by-young-people-in-northern-ireland-2022.html#Culture,_arts,_heritage_and_sport [Accessed July 2024].
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