Why Education In Arts, Design And Creativity Is So Important?

The need for education in arts and creative professions is growing fast! We often think about creativity as making something, but in fact the root meaning of the word is “to grow”. When we are creative we feel as if the world, and all that is in it, is vibrantly alive. Creativity is guilty for some of the major achievements of civilization: from the invention of the wheel to Mozart’s sonatas. People use creativity every day in all kinds of ways, whether to tell a story about that time their car broke down, to write a TV advertising scrip, or to develop a mobile app or create a video game design.

Although the world cannot develop without professions like Medicine, Finance, Mathematics, Computer science and Engineering, the creative industries should also be considered as more and more valuable in today’s digital world. Subjects from education in arts and creative fields support personal, social, moral, spiritual, cultural and creative development, and enables participants to engage with, and explore visual, tactile and other sensory experiences and how to recognize and communicate ideas and meanings. It expands the perceptions and forms new ways of problem solving. These opportunities enable people to work with traditional and new media, so that they develop confidence, competence, imagination and creativity. The arts provide students with a multitude of options for expressing and communicating their ideas and they learn to think about problems from a broad range of perspectives. These kinds of communication and problem-solving abilities are essential to all work environments, regardless of the field.

It is scientifically proven that children’s exposure to education in arts affects other aspects of their learning, such as developing better reading, writing and mathematical skills. This effect is called “rotary learning”. Children who may be having difficulties in other parts of the school curriculum may find an expressive outlet through art. It’s a way to uncover talent that may not be seen otherwise. Art is a means of communicating ideas, feelings, and solutions in a way other than verbally or written.

Arts provide an introduction to potential careers in the visual arts and creative, heritage, cultural and digital and design media industries, sectors that are contributing significantly to the world economy.

The biggest outbound student market in the world – China, is a major source of students, aiming for education in the creative area. In 2016, the number of Chinese students enrolled in fine and applied arts and design programs has more than tripled. According to “Global University World News” students from China are still keen on studying Business administration, Engineering and Technology at overseas universities, but the growth in the desire for studying Mass communication and Documentation, Creative arts and Design, has become much bigger. To find out more about the Chinese students interests, check out our special infographic here.

The opportunities for professional development that we have today are way different than 20 years ago. Many old fashioned professions are starting to disappear and many new creative fields are born. For young people, just starting their career path, there are plenty of opportunities, related to arts and creativity – from visual UX design and animation, to copywriting or affiliate marketing, also video graphics and website design etc. Creative thinking is valuable for any kind of business, industry and even science! It stimulates innovation and decision-making and will be more and more popular in today’s digital era.