Frederick University hosted an international conference titled “Visual arts education in contemporary society: Connecting Art with Real Life Issues” on Saturday, 14th of May 2022, at the Nicosia campus.

Focusing on art and sustainability, the conference presented practical ideas of integration of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations in visual arts education. The programme of the conference included presentations, roundtable discussions, and workshops. Speakers from Cyprus and abroad refered to innovative teaching approaches and discussed the educational aspects of the topic.

The Conference was within the framework of the project CARE “Visual arts education in new times: Connecting Art with Real Life Issues”, which is funded by the European programme Erasmus+. The project is coordinated by Dr Victoria Pavlou, Associate Professor of Visual Arts Education in the Department of Education of Frederick University. “Visual arts education can be a truly transformative experience,” she states. “It can encourage children to be active thinking citizens, with critical and creative thought, and an interest in the development of society and a viable future”.

During the Conference, Dr Pavlou presented the project CARE and explained its goals and actions. Professor Kostas Manzalos, Dean of the School of Fine Arts, Communication and Cultural Studies at Frederick University presented the topic “Contemporary art and Real Life!” and Dr Chrysanthi Kadji, Associate Professor in the School of Education and Social Sciences of the University talked about the “The power of using images in Education for Sustainable Development”.

The participants of the Conference were involved in experiential workshops, organised by educators of Primary Education in Cyprus and Greece and academics from the United Kingdom. They also had the opportunity to participate in two complementaty actions which preceded the Conference: the first took place at the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre, Partnership Pieridis Foundation (NiMAC) on Thursday 12th of May, and the second at the A. G. Leventis Gallery on Friday 13th of May.

Partners of the CARE project are Frederick University (coordinator), the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), the University of Malta, the University of Exeter (UK) and the European Regional Council of InSEA (International Society for Education through Art).

The timetable of the Conference

8:30-9:00 Registration

9:00-9:15 Welcome speech by Ms Natassa Frederickou, President of the Council of Frederick University and Opening remark Rita L. Irwin, Distinguished University Scholar and Professor of Art Education and Curriculum Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

9:15-11:15 Presentations and Discussion
Connecting Art with Real Life Issues- The CARE project, Victoria Pavlou, Associate Professor, Coordinator of CARE
Sustainable development goals, art education and contemporary artistic practices, Raphael Vella, Associate Professor, Malta University, Malta
Visual diaries as a vehicle for learning and assessment, Martha Ioannidou, Senior Assistant Professor Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Issues-Based Art Education in Primary Schools, Emese Hall, Senior Lecturer in Art Education, University of Exeter, UK

11:15-11:35 Break

11:35-12:25 Parallel roundtable discussions
The Art of Compassion, Isabelle Gatt, Senior Lecturer, Malta University, Malta
Contemporary art and Real Life!, Kostas Manzalos, Professor, Frederick University, Cyprus
The power of using images in Education for Sustainable Development, Chrysanthi Kadji, Associate Professor, Frederick University Cyprus

12:25-13:30 Parallel workshops
For Peace! (SDG16), Tereza Markidou, Educator in Primary Education, Cyprus
Responsible consumer (SDG12), Julia Panagiotou –Acherioti, Phivi Antoniou and Maria Louca, Educators in Primary Education, Cyprus
A snake is traveling (SDG12, SDG4) Anastasios Papas, Polymnia Siourla and Athina Ntanavara, Educators in Primary Education, Greece
Nature’s great builders, Harriet White, Lecturer, Emese Hall, Senior Lecturer, University of Exeter, UK