6. Art Education

The Arts are a vast range of creative activities carried out by people in all cultures and societies. They involve innovative and imaginative ways of expression in different forms using a variety of materials and media. When people work with the arts, they not only create artwork, but also enjoy the experience of viewing and responding to many forms of cultural expression. The Arts can broadly be classified into the Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts.

In the school curriculum, Art Education deals with developing creativity, aesthetic sensibilities, and cultural literacy in all students. Being culturally literate means having familiarity with the significant events, figures, and works of literature, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts that have shaped a society or have had a lasting impact on its development. This is done through various forms of Visual Arts, a variety of crafts (local living traditions), digital art, as well as Performing Arts such as storytelling, puppetry, dramatics, music, dance, and movement. The range of genres could include traditional, classical, folk, popular, and contemporary styles of creative expression. Art Education in schools should give all students adequate opportunities to openly express their ideas and feelings through a variety of art forms. When they create artwork together and work collaboratively, they recognise one another’s strengths and develop deeper connections with the world around them. Such a process nurtures empathy, appreciation, cooperation, and trust, all of which are fundamental for developing social and human values, such as ahimsa, love, compassion, friendship, and peaceful co-existence.

Section 6.1 - Aims

Art in school education helps every student develop creative thought and expression. This involves three important processes—making artwork, thinking creatively in the Arts, and appreciating all forms of artistic expression.

The Arts are known to enable socio-emotional well-being. Exposure to art and the experience of producing art can improve cognition and significantly impact individuals in their emotional awareness and regulation.

Through a complete engagement of the mind and body, the Arts have the potential to create immersive experiences. Such immersive experiences have a positive and long-lasting impact on the development of aesthetic sensibilities, expression, imagination, observation, crafting skills, creativity, and students’ overall confidence in their own abilities. They learn to find diverse ways of persisting and solving problems. All these are important for individual growth and contribution towards society.

By working with the Arts, students connect with their culture and appreciate the diversity of artistic expression in other cultures. As a common language, the Arts bring people together and lead them to develop acceptance, understanding, and mutual respect.

Through a good, effective Art Education programme, schools must aim to achieve:

a. Joy in exploring and creating artwork: This would mean gaining a variety of aesthetic experiences and deriving joy from all forms of art.

b. Imagination and creativity: Acquiring and applying creative thinking and artistic capacities through experimentation and sustained practice in the Arts is at the heart of Art Education.

c. Empathy and sensitivity: Meaningful experience in the Arts has great potential to nurture empathy and sensitivity towards the expressions of others.

d. Understanding of connections with other disciplines: The Arts teaches appreciation of beauty in nature and the observation of details and patterns. This approach to the understanding of disciplines makes for aesthetic experiences in themselves.

e. Sense of belonging: Through artistic engagement, students will find connections to their own culture and traditions, as well as learn an appreciation for India’s multicultural diversity and knowledge of contemporary artists and art practices.

Section 6.2 - Nature of Knowledge

Artistic work involves perceptual, procedural, and conceptual knowledge: The Arts strongly rely on perceptual knowledge, which is about experiencing the world through all the senses of our body. The Arts also connect emotions and sensory experiences. Procedural knowledge in the Arts is largely associated with the process of making or creating artwork. This requires us to know how to use materials such as tools and mediums of expression and how to apply artistic concepts while creating artwork. Conceptual knowledge in the Arts is to know about space, colour, form, movement, narration, materials, tools, balance, proportion, beauty, harmony, and other elements and principles.

Yatho hasta tatho drishti Yatho drishti tatho manah Yatho manah tatho bhaava Yatho bhaava tatho rasa - Verse from the Natyashastra Translation: Where the hand (action) goes, there follows vision Where the vision goes, there follows the mind (thought) Where the mind goes, there follows feeling (emotion) Where the feeling goes, there follows aesthetic pleasure

‘Making’ is at the centre of artistic work: The above verse in Sanskrit captures the essence of making art, where the creative process begins with making. It is then followed by thinking, feeling, experiencing, and appreciating. The concrete experience of ‘making’ or ‘doing’ is central to the Arts. Along with this, ‘how something is done’ defines its artistic nature, e.g., one can play with utensils to either make disturbing noises or create soothing music.

Art inspires new ways of looking: We are creatures of habit and adapt easily to routine and repetition. We enjoy the Arts because it brings about a change in our routine ways of thinking and working. The Arts give a sense of ‘newness’ by inspiring us to experience the world differently, in ways that are unique, enjoyable, and thought-provoking. Such experiences are referred to as rasa or the aesthetic experience.

Art reflects human aesthetic sensibilities: Aesthetic sensibility is the ability to perceive beauty, arrive at considered judgements regarding the good and beautiful, and strive towards a sense of refinement in the art-making process. Art is a form of understanding beauty, shape, symmetry, pattern, and movement to express ideas and evoke feelings.

Artistic creativity follows and expands rules and conventions: As with languages, the Arts also have rules and grammar that are evolving and being redefined with time. For instance, the creative exploration of raagas in classical Music follows some basic rules while allowing for exploration and creativity. Instead of viewing these rules of form as constraints, artists use these as opportunities to challenge their own imagination and push the boundaries of creativity towards newer forms of expression.

There are differences in the natures of Visual and Performing Arts: The Visual Arts typically offer ‘static’ experiences to viewers. For instance, paintings and sculptures are viewed as completed artwork and do not undergo changes while viewing. The Performing Arts on the other hand, offer ‘dynamic’ (time-based) experiences to their audiences. For example, Music, Dance, and Theatre are dependent on the passage of time for their audience to experience a completed work. Some Art forms might offer a combination of both static and dynamic experiences, e.g., a tradition such as Patachitra combines aspects of painting and performance when the artist sings and narrates the story depicted in the scroll painting.

Art is a holistic engagement: The Arts involve a holistic engagement of the mind and body through which ideas, expressions, and responses are communicated. Playing the flute not only produces an aesthetic experience (rasaanubhava) but learning to play it also develops an understanding of materials, sound, and its production. Theatre and the Dramatic Arts are by nature holistic knowledge systems that combine Literature, Music, Movement, Visual Arts, and Crafts.

Section 6.3 - Approach to Art Education

NEP 2020 mentions that

…no hard separation among ‘curricular’, ‘extracurricular’, or ‘co-curricular’, among ‘Arts’, ‘Humanities’, and ‘Sciences’, or between ‘Vocational’ or ‘academic’ streams. Subjects such as Physical Education, Arts and Crafts, and vocational skills, in addition to Science, Humanities, and Mathematics, will be incorporated throughout the school curriculum.

This NCF, therefore, places the Arts as one of the main Curricular Areas. It recognises the vast diversity of cultural expressions that exist across the length and breadth of India. Local art and cultures would be the starting point for Art Education in all Stages of school education. This approach aims to develop an understanding among Teachers and students that the Arts are around us as an integral part of our lives and an essential subject for students of all Stages of education.

6.3.1 Stages of Aesthetic Development

Development of Aesthetic Sensibilities: At all Stages of Art Education, students learn to express their views on what is ‘aesthetic’ and describe the characteristics of things they find beautiful. While subjective interpretations are encouraged, it is also important for students to assess the aesthetic qualities of artwork based on the commonly accepted criteria in the Arts. These criteria are established through the art form as well as society and culture. For example, when proportion is chosen as one of the common criteria in the Visual Arts, what is considered a beautiful proportion may vary from one culture to another. It could also depend on the context, genre, or theme of the artwork. Making these connections is important for evaluating artwork and validating aesthetic choices. Students imbibe their aesthetic sensibility from the cultures that they are frequently exposed to. Art Education helps them examine their aesthetics closely and expand their ‘tastes’ by participating in art processes.

Aesthetic Development in Stages: In the Foundational Stage, children are encouraged to express their views while responding to artwork, and they share their personal preferences. By the end of the Preparatory Stage, students can be expected to distinguish artwork by quality and level of completion. In the Middle and Secondary Stages, students should be able to reflect on their aesthetic choices and not blindly conform to trends and cliques because of social acceptance. In these Stages, they can learn to evaluate their aesthetic choices through gradual steps of inquiry, rigorous exploration, and practice. As students mature, their observation and sensitivity to detail develop, and this enables them to appreciate well-crafted objects and acquire sophistication in their artistic expressions. They develop aesthetic judgement and an ability to evaluate artwork based on common criteria.

All creative processes that take place in the Art classroom need to encourage the pursuit of aesthetic qualities. This in turn reflects in their art-making process by setting higher benchmarks for creative refinement in thought, expression, and technical skills.

6.3.2 Art Integration

In addition to teaching and learning the Arts as a subject, the Arts must also be integrated into the classroom practices of all other subjects. According to NEP 2020:

Art-integration is a cross-curricular pedagogical approach that utilises various aspects and forms of art and culture as the basis for learning concepts across subjects. As a part of the thrust on experiential learning, art-integrated education will be embedded in classroom transactions not only for creating joyful classrooms but also for imbibing the Indian ethos through the integration of Indian art and culture in the teaching and learning process at every level.

Teachers of all subjects can explore Art integration in their classes. It provides experiential and joyful learning opportunities for students by focussing on meaningful linkages between knowledge of the Arts and the knowledge of other subjects.

Art integration works well when Teachers collaborate. When Teachers of other subjects collaborate with Arts Teachers, they share the responsibility of ensuring that every student understands concepts through various modes of engagement. This also helps students express their curiosity, inquiry, and creativity in multiple forms.

Art integration works well when it addresses the Goals and Competencies of Art as well as other subjects. From the processes of planning, through classroom practices and to assessment, Teachers must ensure that the goals of all subjects involved, including the Arts, are given equal importance.

Art integration identifies select concepts that are shared across subjects. For example, patterns and tessellations are common to Visual Arts and Mathematics, symmetry is common across Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Mathematics; Music, sound, and acoustics can be linked through Physics, Biology, and Performing Arts; properties of materials and chemical reactions can be linked through pottery, textiles, Physics, and Chemistry; Literature and History can be linked across Drama, Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Language(s) and Social Sciences.

Concepts and processes are emphasised in Art integration. It is important to understand that not all activities that involve drawing and construction can be presumed to fulfil Art goals. For example, copying a science diagram from a book is not Art integration. Furthermore, the ability to observe, visualise, draw well, or build something is as much a desirable capacity in the Sciences as it is in the Arts.

Arts integration cannot be a replacement for dedicated Art classes in the school curriculum. The Arts have their own content, skills, methods, and processes that require dedicated space and time for developing knowledge and practice. This document focusses on Art Education specific to knowledge of the Arts, along with Learning Standards in the Visual and Performing Arts. This would not only guide Teachers in teaching the Arts as a subject, but also find meaningful connections with other subjects to integrate concepts, content, pedagogy, and assessment practices.

6.3.3 Emphasis on Process, not Product

Process, more than the product, is central to learning the Arts. Art curricula across the world have recognised the educational value of developing frameworks for Art Education which focus on artistic processes, such as ideation, creation, production, performance/presentation, response, review, and making connections. This ensures that Teachers and students focus on all aspects of development (cognitive, affective, psychomotor, socio-emotional, and language) while learning the Arts. Accordingly, the Learning Standards integrate the thinking, making, and appreciation processes that are fundamental to Art Education.

Thinking processes refer to a wide range of cognitive activities while working in the Arts. The first is the process of generating ideas and innovating while creating artwork. The second is understanding and applying the elements of various Art forms (line, form, colour, space, texture, and value in the Visual Arts; pitch, rhythm, volume, tempo, movement, speech, voice, story, and role in the Performing Arts). The third is inquiry and critical probing into art practices and aesthetic experiences. The fourth is to attempt newer, reasonable interpretations while working in the Arts. The fifth is to connect the Arts with other knowledge as well as one’s own experiences. Making processes are related to the execution and production of artwork. These processes engage the mind and body for expressing ideas and feelings. This includes various body movements and the use of materials, instruments, tools, and other resources. The making processes also focus on exploring techniques, refining skills, and practising creative improvisation while producing artwork.

Appreciation processes begin with the exposure to a wide range of art forms, artists, and their practices through structured Art sessions or through the local environment and culture. This develops an awareness of how the Arts communicate a variety of expressions. Furthermore, the process reveals how these expressions are interpreted differently by every individual. While viewing Art, one also needs to consider the social, historical, and contextual background of an artwork and its viewers. Responding to art also requires the ability to describe aesthetic experiences and share personal interpretations or viewpoints. The capacity to assess artwork and develop aesthetic judgement is also an important part of the appreciation processes. All these processes are interlinked and cannot be addressed in isolation if a meaningful and complete art learning experience is desired.

Section 6.4 - Current Challenges

The status of Art Education in schools is troubled by several challenges, some of which are as follows:

a. Lack of time, resources, and seriousness given to the Arts

Art activities are often limited to fun and entertainment during occasions and cultural events at schools. Art education is either not timetabled at all or is stopped before and during exams. Time allocated for Art classes is often taken away for exam preparation or syllabus completion in other subjects. There is often little/no physical space allocated for art activities and a rare utilisation of art resources in most schools. Added to this, there is rarely any planning, organising, assessment, and review in art teaching. There are no textbooks/handbooks to guide the Art Teacher and there is no serious assessment of learning in the Arts.

b. Reinforcing stereotypes and meaningless ideas

In the name of Art, students are mostly made to admire and reproduce stale and unoriginal images, e.g., drawings of landscapes with triangular mountains, a semi-circular sun, and a few trees, regardless of whether the student has witnessed such a landscape. Similarly, in Dramatic Arts, students often perform morally heavy plays based on themes with which they have no personal connections or dance to the tunes of popular songs that further reinforce social stereotypes. Art is reduced to occasional entertainment characterised by pomp and spectacle.

c. Acute shortage of well-prepared Art Teachers

Schools across the country need to recruit many more Art Teachers. Art teaching needs preparation. Artists, craftspeople, and performers cannot simply become Teachers. Becoming an Art Teacher requires an understanding of educational perspectives, a capacity for educational judgement, as well as initial guided practice in Art teaching. Teacher Education programmes do not have an appropriate Art orientation for all Teachers or an initial preparation of specialised Art Teachers. As a result, Art Teachers struggle to understand the requirements of Art Education and end up imposing inappropriate expectations on students. In cases where Teachers of other subjects show an interest in the Arts and an inclination to teach the Arts, it is neither appreciated nor supported.

d. Social aspirations

There is a general lack of interest in Art Education in society since people lack awareness about its educational value in developing aesthetic, creative, and cultural capacities in students. The wide scope of pursuing the Arts as a career also remains unknown to many.

Addressing the Constraint of Teacher Availability Many schools do not have dedicated Art Teachers or adequate space and materials for the Arts. In such cases, schools could choose from various forms of visual and Performing Arts that are already practised in the region, identify local artists who could be resource persons, and use natural materials and local resources for Art facilitation. Local potters, toymakers, basket weavers, painters (including Gond, Warli, Madhubani, Maandana), sculptors, photographers, book illustrators, and muralists in the locality could be invited to the school to lecture-demonstrate. With some education and initial support in learning pedagogical practices, these artists may even be employed as part-time or full-time Teachers by schools. However, until such an arrangement happens, Teachers need to ensure that Art Education aligns with the core principles mentioned in this document by being the primary facilitators. The role of the resource person is to introduce technical aspects of the Arts processes during their interactions with students. In the Foundational and Preparatory Stages, Art classes may be facilitated by any Teacher in the school who has a basic orientation to Art Education for the respective Stages, or with the assistance of local resource persons. They must encourage students to openly express their ideas and emotions and playfully experiment with a range of materials in the form of Visual Arts (rangoli, drawing, painting, textile arts, puppetry, sculpture, pottery). By the Middle Stage, schools must prioritise recruiting at least one exclusively assigned Art Teacher who is familiar with any art form and is trained to facilitate the Visual Arts and Performing Arts. A Teacher for the Middle Stage should have the capacity to provide appropriate encouragement and inputs to nurture the individual creativity of all students and stretch their artistic explorations. In the Secondary Stage, schools need to ideally recruit one Teacher for the Visual Arts and one Teacher for the Performing Arts who have adequate knowledge of the Arts, as well as the education perspectives that are required for teaching the Arts at the Secondary Stage. Until this is done, schools could collaborate with Art organisations and the local art communities to fulfil the Art Education needs of the curriculum. School libraries should include a wide range of books and audio-visual resources. These could be museum/exhibition catalogues with images of artwork, books on artists, art magazines/periodicals related to the Visual and Performing Arts, children’s literature with artistic illustrations, and so on. Songbooks with musical notations or literature for Drama could also become important reference material for students and Teachers.

Section 6.5 - Learning Standards

In the Foundational Stage, the Arts contribute towards the sensorial, physical, socio-emotional, aesthetic, and cultural development of young children. They use the space around them freely and imaginatively while creating body movements, sounds, and images to express themselves in various art forms. They experiment with objects, materials, and tools playfully and instinctively. They also express their responses to the arts in various verbal and non-verbal ways.

In the Preparatory Stage, students continue their own artistic explorations while also developing a curiosity towards local art forms and artists. They learn to exercise their choice of materials, tools, and themes for creative expression. In this Stage, they are initiated into the processes of ideating, reviewing, editing, rehearsing, and completing artwork while working individually and collaboratively.

The objective of Art in the Middle Stage is that students develop an appreciation for the artistic and cultural diversity of their region and other parts of India. They are introduced to basic concepts, techniques, and processes across the Visual and Performing Arts, as well as local Art traditions from different parts of India. Through regular Art practice, students in this Stage are expected to enhance their imaginative and creative capacities, as well as their appreciation of effort, originality, and refinement in artwork.

In Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage, students develop an awareness of the wide scope of applications in the Visual and Performing Arts. Along with the rigorous practice of fundamental techniques and processes, students develop the capacity to interpret and evaluate artwork. The larger objective at this Stage is to inspire meaningful connections between the Arts and their own lives through a deeper engagement with diverse artistic expressions.

Across the Stages, the Arts nurture creativity and aesthetic sensibilities in all students. At every Stage, collaborative work provides opportunities for developing mutual appreciation, respect, love, compassion, patience, persistence, and hard work. Most importantly, the Arts focus on instilling joy and pride in India’s rich artistic and cultural diversity.

The Learning Standards in this section are for the Visual Arts, Theatre, Music, and Dance and Movement. All schools must aim to provide maximum opportunities for students to explore any form of Visual Arts and any form of Performing Arts (Music, Theatre, Dance, and Movement) across all the Stages. The art forms that are chosen by the school should be appropriate, accessible to all students, and have relevance in their contexts. Based on the art forms that a school chooses, the relevant Learning Standards specific to the Visual Art form or Performing Art form can be applied. Teachers need to understand the importance of process in all Art forms and ensure that students develop the necessary Competencies by the end of every Stage.

A ‘Nested’ Design of Learning Standards: As mentioned in Part A, Chapter 3, § 3.1, giving due consideration to the time schools might require in the implementation of Art Education as a fullfledged subject across the Stages (for example, appointment of Teachers, acquisition of resources), this document contains ‘Nested Learning Standards’ for Art Education, wherein Learning Standards have two sets which have been detailed. The first set, called Learning Standards - 1 details the full range of Curricular Goals and Competencies across the Visual and Performing Arts. These should be accomplished by all schools as soon as they add the required resources for Art Education. Nested within this is a subset called Learning Standards - 2. These should be accomplished by all schools from the very initiation of the implementation of this NCF.

6.5.1 Preparatory Stage

Section 6.6 - Content

The approach, principles, and methods of selecting content has commonalities across subjects – those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.2 of this document. This section focusses only on what is most critical to education of Art in schools. Hence, it will be useful to read this section along with the above-mentioned section.

6.6.1 Principles for Content Selection

The selection of content for Art Education should take into consideration the following principles:

a. Ensure age-appropriate content: While choosing themes or tools and techniques for Art activities, the students’ age group, developmental stage, and diverse learning abilities must be given consideration.

b.* Include a diversity *of context, resources, and artistic genres: Starting with the familiar and local for the younger age groups, content could gradually expand to examine the diversity in regional, linguistic, national, and international contexts. As the content progresses in the different Stages, it must cover a breadth of genres, which include classical, folk, tribal, popular, and contemporary forms of Art. Materials and resources that are locally or naturally available must be prioritised.

c. Uphold the dignity of all types of work: Content should not reflect any hierarchies among Art processes. It must give equal importance and value to all kinds of physical, intellectual, and emotional work. Similarly, the content should present a wide scope of skills (Ranging from simple to complex) and in roles (ranging from minor to major). For example, the role of a stage designer in the Performing Arts cannot be undermined by the role of actors.

d. Include traditional and contemporary practices in the Arts: Students are exposed to a variety of Art forms through their local culture and traditions, as well as entertainment channels in the media and the internet. Therefore, the content in Art Education must consider what students are already exposed to and know and provide opportunities to discuss and reflect on emerging trends and practices in the cultural space.

e. Encourage questioning and critical reflection: Although the Arts can be subjective in nature, artistic expression and discussion should encourage students to reason their choices, compare and analyse the processes, and connect them with their aesthetic preferences.

f. Uphold values: The chosen content must teach students an appreciation for multicultural diversity and inclusion, concern for democratic values, respect, and compassion for a variety of artistic expressions, and an interest in working towards justice through creative modes, peaceful dialogue, and cooperation. Dialogues around art and aesthetics must aim to develop multiple perspectives and respect diverse viewpoints.

6.6.2 Organisation of Content

6.6.2.1 Elements and Principles of Art

There are several approaches and traditions of teaching and learning the Arts. Most approaches introduce students to the fundamental elements and principles related to the art form that is being taught. The framework of elements and principles is widely accepted for creating and evaluating artwork. The elements of various art forms, as well as the methods and aesthetic principles have also been systematically codified in ancient Indian texts, such as the Natyashastra, Abhinaya Darpanam, Shilpashastra, and Chitrasutra. While some of these (e.g., bhaava or emotion) may be common across different art forms, some elements are specific to the Visual Arts and others to the Performing Arts.

Students need to know the fundamental elements and principles of various Art forms while creating artwork. It also helps them develop an Art vocabulary to describe, discuss, and evaluate works of Art.

The following table is a suggested illustration of the elements and principles of the Visual Arts and Performing Arts, which could be introduced at every Stage. This is informed by the developmental stages that occur in students. Elements introduced in the early years will continue to be applicable in the later years, with a gradually increasing level of complexity.

6.6.2.2 Materials, Tools, and Techniques

Materials, tools, and techniques play a critical role in every Art form and even shape traditions, styles, and genres. The focus of Art Education is to provide wide exposure to a range of materials, techniques, and tools before developing excellence in any one Art form or process. Therefore, an age-appropriate introduction to materials, tools, and techniques must be followed across all Stages. A premature introduction to advanced tools or an overemphasis on technique alone can prevent a student from enjoying the explorative and innovative aspects of creating artwork.

a. *Materials * Materials could be chosen based on the school’s geographical location (weather conditions, native flora/fauna), local culture, and locally available resources. Schools can, like many traditional art practices, conscientiously source materials and tools from nature. It is recommended that all schools avoid purchasing plastic, Styrofoam, and thermocol as materials and explore recycling the same from used packaging, if necessary. Safety and hygiene should be prioritised in all situations when students use recycled material. Processes such as creating art using papier mache can be introduced as sustainable alternatives to recycling paper for creative use in the Arts.

Examples of materials sourced from nature

Natural elements, such as water, air, and light, play an important role in many material transformations and processes. Other natural materials could be soil, sand, mud, clay, pebbles, rocks, stone, minerals and metals, sticks, dried logs, wood, brick, charcoal, seeds, seed pods, leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, vegetables, natural rubber, natural gum, grains and their powder, shells, feathers, and natural fibres (cotton, jute, palm, wool).

Art from Natural Materials My students in Grade 5 know and tell many stories, and they have even written and created their own illustrated stories. This time, I decided to assign a task that is related to story illustrations that would not be on paper or in the form of a book. In fact, it would be impermanent. They had to work in groups and create outdoor artwork in which they used only natural materials or found objects sourced from the school campus. Of course, they were also given the condition that they could not harm plants by plucking flowers and had to source material from what had fallen on the ground. During the activity, each group selected a story and decided on a scene that they would depict in their artwork. Once outdoors, they quickly got to work as they picked stones, pebbles, twigs, leaves, flower petals, and so on. They busily discussed their ideas as every material triggered their imaginations to improvise on the spot, make changes to their visuals, and even come up with their own stories. The students had to think differently and be creative to find the objects to convey the shapes, forms, colours, and ideas they had in mind. One group decided to use a drinking water tumbler with a little water to become a well in their artwork. The time limit to complete their work in one period also made them be mindful of their plan, and they worked energetically and efficiently. Some groups borrowed ideas from others as they saw them using different materials. When all groups completed their artwork, each group presented their story along with the artwork and the others responded to their artwork by telling them what they found interesting in their use of materials, how their compositions conveyed different ideas and stories, and what they each learnt from the process. The groups also reflected on their collaborative experiences within their groups.

Examples of materials available in stores Chalk, crayons, pastels, paints (watercolour, poster colour, tempera, acrylics), inks, rangoli powder, a variety of fibres and threads for textile arts (cotton, nylon, wool, silk), gums and adhesives, paper and cardboard in various sizes and thicknesses, fabric in a variety of textures, prints, and patterns; rubber, wooden boards and blocks (in smooth, textured, and carved variants), plates and sheets of different metals varying in lustre and thickness; beads, wires, straws, and rods made of different materials.

b. Tools

While selecting tools and instruments across the Arts, the student’s age group, their prior knowledge, and exposure to various tools and instruments need to be considered. Students learn the knowledge of:

i. Appropriate selection of tools and instruments.

ii. Grasping, holding, and operating tools and instruments.

iii. Safety precautions in using the tools and instruments.

iv. Care for the tools and instruments.

Examples of Tools and Instruments used in the Visual Arts

Pencils, pens, markers, brushes, rollers; erasers, sponges, palettes, sharpeners, scissors, cutters, scrapers knives, needles, pliers, punch, potter’s wheel, wooden modelling tools, spoons, spatulas, palette knives, carving tools, hammer/mallet, chisels, files, saw, hand drill, measuring instruments (such as measuring tape, scales, compass, protractors, weighing scales), recording equipment (such as cameras), digital software, and applications. Sewing machines can be introduced at the Secondary Stage.

Examples of Tools and Instruments used in the Performing Arts

Natural materials, pitch pipes, tuners, traditional, electronic, or digital forms of surpeti/shrutibox, tanpura/tambura, metronome, tabla and other taala aids, ektara, a variety of percussion instruments, selected string instruments, wind instruments, harmonium, keyboards, bells, ghungroos, lighting equipment for stage, sound equipment (such as microphones, amplifiers, mixers, speakers), recording equipment for video and audio, costumes, jewellery, make-up, stage props, and sets.

c. Techniques

All art forms can be introduced to students across Stages with age-appropriate techniques and relevant adaptations in materials and tools. Teachers must choose techniques and processes that are suitable for students based on their age, attention span, interest, prior knowledge, and experience. They would also have to consider knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are desirable at every Stage. For example, the technique of working on a potter’s wheel requires a variety of motor skills and strength, which may be more appropriate for students in the later Middle or Secondary Stages. At the Preparatory Stage, students can be introduced to pottery techniques that do not require a wheel, such as pinch pottery or coil pottery techniques. As a precursor to the technique of weaving, students in the Preparatory Stage can be introduced to the techniques of braiding using palm fronds or thick jute ropes. In the Middle and Secondary Stages, students can learn to make simple handheld looms, weave with wool and jute and try basket weaving too.

Examples of Techniques and Processes used in the Visual Arts

Drawing, sketching, journalling, painting, dyeing, printing, pottery and ceramics, photography, film and video, animation, collage, assemblage, construction, building, modelling, carving, engraving, etching, embossing, digital fabrication, braiding, weaving, knitting, cutting, sewing, and embroidery.

Examples of Techniques and Processes used in the Performing Arts

Warm up games, exercises, and activities for voice, instruments, and body movement; brainstorming, mind mapping; noting and visualising ideas on the board; Drama games, image making, or tableaux (motionless individuals making a still scene), improvisations and their different variations, scene work, stagecraft, rehearsal techniques, run throughs, techniques for ensemble/group performance, solo performance, movement choreography, composing Music, reading and writing poems, stories, scripts, and musical notation.

6.6.2.3 Artists and their Practice

Students must learn about the lives and Art practices of various artists. Along with this, they also need to learn about the various environmental and social factors that support artists. These inquiries can enhance their appreciation for the Arts and sensitise them to cultural issues. Schools can organise lecture demonstrations by various artists (men, women, and transgender) who are known locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally to inspire students to engage with the Arts.

6.6.2.4 Art Etiquette and Ethics

Students of all Stages must be introduced to Art etiquette and ethics, e.g., conventions of salutation, bowing to the audience, acknowledging all the people involved in the production, and participating as a respectful and appreciative audience. In the process of making artwork, students must be taught about copyright laws, fair use, the ethics of sharing Art content, and the practice of including credits of people and other resources that were involved in production. Students must also practise the habits of cleaning and caring for Art equipment and spaces.

6.6.2.5 Familiar Themes

Familiar themes make the thinking, making, and appreciation of art more accessible to students. Examples of themes could be the life and work of people, traditions and cultures, characteristics and arrangements of objects, living beings in the natural environment, stories, folk tales, myths, legends, poetry, and other forms of literature; values, such as love, friendship, equality, and justice; and concepts, such as war, peace, education, and health.

6.6.2.6 Interdisciplinary Practice

Learning the Arts very often overlaps with knowledge from other disciplines. The Social Sciences and the Arts are closely interlinked. History, Art, archaeology, architecture, conservation, contemporary crafts traditions, and contemporary Art practices can all be explored while learning about art and society. Similarly, Language, literature, and Art are to be viewed as different forms of cultural expression and human communication. Concepts such as symmetry can be explored through the Visual Arts, crafts, Dance, Movement, and Mathematics. Sound and its properties can be studied through Music, Drama, Physics, Biology, and Language. Colour can be explored through Visual Arts and craft practices such as natural dyeing, Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Political Science (issues of race and colour). More such content can be chosen for Art integration practices.

6.6.3 Content Packages for Students and Handbooks for Teachers

Art Education will require the thoughtful designing of content that encourages creative exploration and Art appreciation. The conventional format of a textbook may need to be reimagined to suit the nature of art and its related activities. All art forms would require a well organised archive of resources (online and offline versions) that contain good quality images, audio, and videos that are adequately supported by text/audio information to describe the artwork. Content in the archives must represent the artistic and cultural richness of every region in the country, from the past to contemporary. Such archives could be used for designing modules for each art form while allowing room for the local Art too.

Content packages for students must include exploratory exercises that encourage them to interpret artwork, experiment with materials and tools, exercise their imagination, and express their ideas and feelings openly. All content should be inclusive and accessible to students with disabilities. Active student exploration, engagement, guided and independent practice, reflection, reattempting expression, and building aesthetic capacities across age groups are the spirit and vision of Art Education. Content packages must reflect these demands.

Visual Design must be given utmost importance while creating content packages in the Art. Resource materials and books that are well designed can themselves model aesthetic principles and instil artistic sensibilities in Teachers and students. Well-designed handbooks and other supportive Art resources would be required for Teachers of every Stage. These resources would help them develop their understanding of the Aims, Learning Standards, and appropriate content and pedagogy for Art Education through illustrative classroom examples. They could include suggestive lesson plans, pedagogic illustrations, and assessment frameworks for various art forms. Pre-service training and in-service training can orient Teachers to meaningfully use the content and methods suggested in the handbooks and other Art resource materials.

Section 6.7 - Pedagogy and Assessment

The approach, principles, and methods of pedagogy and assessment have commonalities across subjects – those commonalities have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.3 and §3.4 of this document. This section focusses only on what is most critical to Art Education in schools. Hence, it will be useful to read this section along with the above-mentioned section.

6.7.1 Pedagogy for Art Education

For an effective pedagogy for Art Education, it is important to know how students learn the Arts across various age groups. The following are some things to keep in mind in this regard.

a. Developmental stages in children correlate to their aesthetic development. Recent research has found that very young children make free associations with art based on their own experiences, without much external influence. As they grow, they develop a preference towards realism and appreciate the artists’ technique, skill, patience, and hard work. In their adolescent years, they begin to value originality, emotional expression, and creativity. These phases of artistic development can be observed across the Visual and Performing Arts. The ages are not absolute and valid for each student, as some may skip individual phases in the development of their artistic expressions or, at times, fall back on an earlier one.

b. All students, regardless of their differing abilities, can engage in Art activities. They must be encouraged to openly exchange ideas and express themselves. Art classes must foster peer learning and an appreciation of diversity. Exploring and building on capacities must be the essence of art classes.

c. Art Education not only develops skills/craft of making/performance, but also parallelly develops broader creative thinking capacities. This allows for expression of emotions and aesthetic sensibilities. Therefore, the Art Teacher needs to have a deep knowledge of the Arts and of how students learn and respond to artwork. The approach to teaching the Arts should focus on all these skills, and not driving all students to become professional artists themselves.

Teaching Art An Art Teacher in the Preparatory Stage must have a clear understanding of the Aims of Education and the aims of Art Education. They should be familiar with the Curricular Goals for each Stage, Competencies for each Stage described in this NCF, and related Learning Outcomes. They need to have a basic understanding of the nature of art forms as areas of knowledge, and a high inclination towards continuous self-study in the Arts. Added to the expectations mentioned for teaching in the Preparatory Stage, an Art Teacher for the Middle Stage must have an awareness of local art and cultural practices. They must have the ability to connect local art and cultural practices with the stage-specific Competencies of Art Education. Teachers for this Stage should help students develop respect towards multiple art forms and cultural practices from their region and across the country. A Secondary Stage Art Teacher must have disciplinary specialisation and a rigorous understanding of the Arts. They must be able to develop an interest amongst students in any one form of Visual or Performing Arts and develop an appreciation for diverse art practices and traditions in India. They must demonstrate rigour and regularity in Art practice as a part of their teaching methodology (rehearsals, performances, preparing for exhibitions and displays at the school level, and inter-school events). They should be able to motivate students to imaginatively apply Art knowledge in a variety of contexts. Art Teachers for this Stage should have the ability to create an environment of respect for multiple viewpoints. They should also have a good understanding of art-historical contexts and spend their time with students looking at and engaging with a variety of artwork from across the country and the world.

d. Content and pedagogic processes are effective when they are Stage-specific. For example, in the Preparatory Stage, the emphasis would be on expression and communication, whereas by the time they reach the Middle and Secondary Stages, they would be introduced to specific skills in the thinking, making, and appreciating processes. Based on this understanding of children learning the Arts, some common underlying pedagogic

principles applicable across all Stages of school education are below:

a. Art Education must be primarily process focussed: The products of Art and performances are organic consequences of the various artistic processes that are enjoyable and become markers of learning achievement. A Teacher would, therefore, need to closely observe every student’s involvement in the processes of thinking, making, and appreciating artwork while giving the final products of Art and performances their ‘smaller’ due place.

b. Pedagogy must be driven by students’ experiences and collaboration: When students’ expressions become the starting point in art classes, they would be able to connect Art concepts more meaningfully. This provokes them to discover new ways of understanding their own experiences. Art activities lend themselves well to dialogue and collaborative work, where the sharing of ideas nurtures care and concern for multiple viewpoints and expressions. For example, the chances of students identifying and using different shapes in their artwork are greater after the group discusses the variety of organic and geometric shapes seen in embroidery patterns, rangolis, or architectural details, than when the Teacher draws a triangle on the board and tells students to use it in their artwork.

c. Variety and variations must be encouraged: It is important for students to seek variety and create variations even while repeating or reproducing tasks in Art. The focus of the Arts is to discover newness even in the most familiar experiences. Art pedagogy should, therefore, encourage students to stretch their imagination to find multiple ways of looking at the world, and multiple ways of expressing their ideas and emotions in all aspects of their lives.

d. Pedagogy that connects multiple Art forms: Drama and Theatre by nature are composite Art forms that include knowledge and processes of Visual Arts, crafts, design, Literature, Music, Dance, and Movement. It is important for students to not only learn specific Art forms in a focussed manner, but also discover the connections among various Art disciplines. For example, the connection between Dance and Music is commonly known. However, students are very rarely encouraged to perform music themselves for a dance performance instead of playing a readily available recording. The potential for exploring multiple Art forms within a single production or artistic project needs to be consciously encouraged.

e. Local resources, Art, and culture must be emphasised: The inclusion of local culture in Art pedagogy could provide variation in perspective to counter popular culture while also making room for inquiry, analysis, and critical appreciation. NEP 2020 suggests: ...the hiring of outstanding local artists, writers, crafts persons, and other experts as master instructors in various subjects of local expertise; accurate inclusion of traditional Indian knowledge, including tribal and other local knowledge, throughout the curriculum, across Humanities, Sciences, Arts, crafts, and sports, whenever relevant;

Schools could invite local artists, crafts persons, and performers, as well as archaeologists, museum curators, and other relevant Art administrators to share their work through lecture demonstration workshops and art melas in schools. These programmes or interactions need to be planned and mediated by the Art Teacher or any of the other Teachers in the school.

f. Many opportunities for Art exposure and aesthetic appreciation must be made: The larger aim of developing aesthetic sensibilities and cultural literacy can only be achieved when students are sufficiently exposed to good examples of Art from different parts of India and the world. Within the school, students could be shown appropriate examples of film, video, animation, photography, and images of original works of the Visual Arts and the Performing Arts. All viewing sessions require time for discussion and reflection. In higher Grades, students can be encouraged to write art reviews and include them in the Deewar Patrika (wall newspaper) or a monthly school magazine. Assemblies and cultural events must also be seen as opportunities for constructively reviewing performances. They must also be encouraged to review and critique the aesthetic arrangements and visual presentation. Besides classroom teaching, Art pedagogy could include workshops, projects, exhibitions, visits to archaeological sites, monuments, museums, galleries, local art centres, and performance events. The Teacher should plan specific activities and learning projects for students to work on-site during such exposure visits. They can also be given assignments and projects that can be done after such visits.

g. Students with disabilities must be included: Students with disabilities must be given equal opportunities and access to participate in all Art activities. Their participation and engagement will depend on the level and severity of the disability. Focusing on what they ’can do’ independently rather than what they ‘cannot do’ would empower them as learners. They should be given the choice of mediums and levels at which they can engage with the activity with adequate encouragement and support from the Teacher. For example, some suitable Visual Art activities for them might include clay work to build dexterity, dabbling with paints, blending to create new colours, cutting shapes and pieces out of different materials to glue and form abstract patterns, tracing along the outer edges of stencils (as tracing along the inner edges might be difficult for them), and painting with fingers, if holding the brush is a problem. Some suitable Performing Arts activities could include listening to different kinds of music that they are interested in, playing musical instruments such as any kind of drum, or encouraging them to create free-form Dance and Movement to Music. Students with disabilities must be included in all art processes, including discussions. Their responses could be verbal or non-verbal, and these must be acknowledged, appreciated, and included in the pool of responses and opinions in the classroom.

h. The physical space, materials, and resources must be prepared before class: Teachers need to ensure that the materials and the space where Art activities are conducted are prepared and safe for all students. For example, in the Visual Arts, clay may need to be prepared in advance so that it can be shaped or modelled into different forms. The Teacher can either choose to prepare this themselves or, in the case of Middle and Secondary Stages, teach the students to prepare clay. In schools where there may be limited space for the Performing Arts, the Teacher could think of moving furniture around to make space for Movement activities. Time must also be allocated for students to clear the space, clean the used tools, and put away their materials after work.

i. Teachers’ preparation should reflect their knowledge of effective pedagogic strategies in the Arts: Being a good artist does not automatically imply being good at teaching art. However, a Teacher who may not have specific art skills can facilitate interesting and effective Art sessions for students if they have the required knowledge of Art pedagogy and the relevant pedagogic skills. For example, if a Teacher wants students to achieve variety and variation in their artistic exploration while also learning a specific process or technique, they can choose to introduce only the essential steps or skills and not reveal the end product. After that, based on the different learning abilities of students, they can set different targets and challenges for different groups of students. The students can be asked to explore and build further on the technique or process they are introduced to, incorporating their own expressions.

Pedagogic Illustration – Theatre Teaching Plan for the Preparatory Stage Improvisation is a method used in the Dramatic Arts. It involves spontaneous, unscripted action or role play based on any given location or situation during practice. This illustration shows how this method can be introduced at Preparatory Stage. The corresponding Curricular Goals, Competencies, and Learning Outcomes are also indicated to map the pedagogy Activity Process followed at the Preparatory Stage 1. Group size: The Teacher divides the whole class into 6 sub-groups of 5 students each 2. Time: One by one, each group comes to the area marked as the performing space in the classroom 3. Elements of Drama being explored: The Teacher assigns three locations to each group for them to imagine and develop a situation/scene involving different characters and actions through role play. Locations could be home, railway station, sabzi mandi (vegetable market), Principal’s room, hospital, Panchayat Bhawan, playground, and so on. 4. Orientation of exploration: In 10 counts given by the Teacher, the students discuss the characters, fix their roles, and start playing the situation immediately, spontaneously. The students must go on playing until the Teacher says ‘freeze’ to stop the role play. 5. Developmental stage of students: After the presentation of each group, the Teacher can lead the session for reviewing the exercise with the following suggested questions: • What did you do in this exercise? • What did you like in this exercise? • What did you achieve through the exercise, as a team and as an individual? • How did you decide the characters and situation? • What were the challenges you faced while discussing and playing the situation? The review can be done by the Teacher from two points of view: i.e., own review of the performing groups and that of other groups as an audience. 6. The Teacher writes the reflections of the students on the board while also introducing details of the technique of role play and situation building. Curricular Goal CG -2 Exercises their imagination and creativity freely in the Arts Competencies C-2.1 Creates and performs Drama in the classroom based on everyday events, by combining various characters, roles, situations, spaces, and basic props Learning Outcome(s) Improvises situations in role play by expressing various ideas and moods of the characters, e.g., improvises actions in a scene with humour by sitting down and extending laughter for a longer duration; adds own lines while playing a role Content Introduction to Improvisation Activity On-the-spot improvisation for group role play and situation building based on given locations Learning Objectives To understand roles and characters in different situations for Drama work Considerations Developmental stage of students – their improved capacity to imagine and role play characters according to given situations Group size – 5 to 7 students per group Time – 10 counts, as facilitated by the Teacher Elements of Drama being explored – Character and situation Orientation of exploration towards peer groups in the classroom

6.7.2 Assessment in Art Education

Assessment in Art Education must be approached with the fundamental belief that all students can be creative.

Assessment of learning in Art Education needs to be based on evidence from the students’ art making processes, creative thinking processes, and their capacity to respond to and appreciate the Arts within and beyond the school context.

A few Teacher Voices to illustrate different kinds of assessments are given below.

Art portfolio All students in our school have an individual folder in which they store their artwork, which are in the form of drawings, collages, paintings, and fabric artwork. I also take photographs of their three-dimensional artwork in clay and paper and have a digital folder on the school computer. At the end of every term, I devote one or two classes for students to manage and consolidate their folder of drawings. They check that the artwork is properly dated and has their name on it. In case they have forgotten to write the date, they check with their peers and write it down. While they do this, I have individual conversations with some of the students to review their work and reflect on the changes that they observe over time. I have found that most students are able to self-assess and express what they have learned and what they can do better. I take notes during this process. In the higher Grades, students are asked to select artwork from their folder to present in an informal classroom exhibition. They also include any artwork of pottery, sculpture, textile Art, story illustrations, posters, and so on that they have created during the term. Some students also write about their art and art processes. If possible, we invite students and Teachers from other Grades to view the exhibition and provide their feedback. The students enjoy the process since they don’t see it as an ‘exam’ and are enthusiastic to exhibit their artwork and share it with a larger audience. I used four criteria and a four-scale rubric to assess their work, as given below.

Group Performances I teach music from Grade 1 to Grade 8. In Grade 7, I wanted to assess my students’ group performances. I had informed the students which day the assessment would take place so that they had time to form their groups, choose a musical piece, and practise it. I usually ask them not to exceed the number in each group beyond 7, so that it is easier to observe all students during the performance. The assessment usually takes about 2 periods to cover all the groups in the class. I prepare a list of criteria that would form the basis of assessment for group performance and share the same with the students for them to assess their peers. Each group had 3 to 5 minutes for their presentation. The students were briefed about the criteria and their respective indicators. I clarified their questions and doubts. While every group performed, the remaining students and I observed their performances, made notes, and graded them according to the criteria. We also had a brief review after each performance, and a few words of appreciation and suggestions were shared by the students who were in the audience. The following criteria was used to assess the students:

Creativity and Imagination I teach language and the Arts in Grade 5. I decided to assess the creativity and imagination of students in my class through a reading comprehension task. Through this activity, I planned to teach students self assessment. I provided students with a story from the textbook that they hadn’t read yet and asked them to read the story and work in groups to present it through any Art form. They were given a day to prepare. One group chose to dramatize the story and develop a short play. Another group created a visual storyboard, and the third group chose to create simple puppets for the main characters as they narrated the story. I observed that every group visualised the story in their own unique way. The group that created storyboards showed their creativity by writing the names of characters in place of facial features. This gave it an unusual look and served the purpose of identifying the characters. The group that presented the drama used interesting props to show the locations of scenes and suggest animal characters. The group that created puppets used everyday materials and discarded cardboard to create their own colourful puppets. They also made an effort to modulate their voices and express different moods and emotions in the story. Although the students worked in groups, I could observe their individual participation and engagement in the creative process. The students used the following rubrics that I designed to assess their own learning.