The arts as a form of expression and an opportunity for developing life skills

Over a two year period, MUS-E® integrates art forms such as dance, theatre, music, visual arts, film or literature into the everyday life of the school as a modular part of the curriculum. Children and young adults profit from a sustainable engagement with various artistic fields and thereby discover their value as a way of expressing emotion. The programme supports the development of creativity, boosts self-confidence, and promotes motivation for learning in a safe and judgement-free environment. The goal of MUS-E® is to nurture tolerance and diversity as well as enhancing social and cultural integration in the classroom.

The artistic activities of MUS-E® emphasise transferable skill sets in the fields of personal, social and methodological competence. Through versatile art projects, MUS-E® offers children and young people the time and space to engage artistically with topics that concern them. Currently, they are also given the opportunity to examine the impacts of the pandemic on their experience of school and everyday life. Beyond these primary goals, by working with professional artists and pedagogues the programme also aims to provide children and young adults with maximum support in these challenges with the help of the arts. For this reason, the artistic activities are also understood as an “opportunity” to support the pupils in developing life skills.

Interdisciplinary competences

Coinciding with the introduction of the Curriculum 21 in Swiss schools, MUS-E® pilot modules have been conducted since 2017 with the objective of demonstrating supporting effect of interdisciplinary competences. The development of such competences is part of the teachers‘ remit. They are to be promoted both as a part of the schools‘ everyday culture as well as in formal instruction. Previous experiences have shown that MUS-E® positively influences children‘s personal development, social cohesion in the classroom and the ability to work independently.

Support

The Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation has supported the MUS-E® pilot schools and the current development work since the school year 2015/2016 with an annual financial contribution of 10‘000,—.