Art Education Observatory

Art Education Observatory was established in Finland in 2017, formed by CERADA, Center for Educational Research and Academic Development in the Arts and by the Association of Cultures Centres for Children in Finland. Further, Taiteen perusopetusliitto is involved in the activities of the Observatory.

The Finnish Observatory has been accepted as a member of the European Network of Observatories in the Field of Arts and Cultural Education, ENO. The network includes observatories from 13 European countries. ENO cooperates closely with UNESCO and implements its guidelines for education, culture and sustainable development. The network aims to facilitate the exchange of research findings and innovative practice within the field of arts and culture education in Europe. Further, it stimulates new research and supports the development of arts education.

The Finnish Observatory, based on partnership, strengthens the knowledge in the field, the connection between research and practice as well as European cooperation. The work of the Finnish Observatory benefits children and adolescents for whom first-class and up-to-date art education offers inspiration, knowledge and skills at school and in their leisure interests. The Observatory gathers, analyses, interprets and disseminates information about the practices and policies of art and culture education in Finland. Thanks to membership in the European network, the practices and research findings in art education in Finland can be compared with and disseminated in other European countries. Further, the network engages in its own projects.

The Finnish Observatory is financed by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Establishing the Observatory of Art Education is part of the Government’s key project called Facilitating Access to Art and Culture.

The Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centers took part in the ENO network conference in Porto, Portugal in September 2017.