Arts participation is defined as involvement in artistic and creative activities, such as dance, drama, music, painting, or sculpture. It can occur either as part of the curriculum or as extra-curricular activity. Arts-based approaches may be used in other areas of the curriculum, such as the use of drama to develop engagement and oral language before a writing task.

Participation may be organised as regular weekly or monthly activities, or more intensive programmes such as holiday programmes or arts camps. While these activities, of course, have important educational value in themselves, this Toolkit entry focuses on the benefits of Arts participation for core academic achievement in other areas of the curriculum particularly literacy and mathematics.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, kapa haka and other cultural arts programmes feature in many schools. Many schools also support students to participate in regional and national cultural performance, music and arts festivals and competitions.

1. Arts participation approaches can have a positive impact on academic outcomes in other areas of the curriculum.

2. The research here summarises the impact of arts participation on academic outcomes. It is important to remember that arts engagement is valuable in and of itself and that the value of arts participation should be considered beyond maths or English outcomes.

3. If the aim of the arts approach is to improve academic achievement it is important to identify the link between your chosen arts intervention and the outcomes you want to improve.

4. Arts-based approaches may offer a route to re-engage older students in learning, though this does not always translate into better achievement. It is important to consider how you will use increased engagement to improve teaching and learning for these students.

Overall, the average impact of arts participation on other areas of academic learning appears to be positive but moderate, about an additional three months progress.

Improved outcomes have been identified in English, mathematics and science. Benefits have been found in both primary and secondary schools.

Some arts activities have been linked with improvements in specific outcomes. For example, there is some evidence of the impact of drama on writing and potential link between music and spatial awareness.

Wider benefits such as more positive attitudes to learning and increased wellbeing have also consistently been reported.

Research conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand puts particular emphasis on the positive impacts of arts participation on student wellbeing, connections with others, and self-confidence. A 2006 study focusing on the educational benefits of Māori students participating in kapa haka in mainstream secondary schooling contexts suggests that kapa haka participation has a direct and positive effect on their participation levels at school.

Arts participation relates to a broad range of subjects including traditional fine arts, theatre, dance, poetry, and creative writing. It also includes teaching strategies which explicitly include arts elements, such as drama-based pedagogy.

Some components of arts education approaches might include:

• Explicit teaching of creative skills and techniques.
• Opportunities for pupils to practice, reflect on their strengths and identify areas for improvement.
• Access to materials, equipment, extra-curricular activities and cultural experiences.

Arts education may be organised as regular lessons or monthly activities, after school clubs, small group or one-on-one tuition or whole school approaches. Activities can also be delivered through more intensive programmes such as holiday programmes or arts camps.

The average cost of arts education is expected to be very low, with costs ranging from very low to high depending on the type of provision. Costs to schools are largely based on teacher professional development and resources. Costs are greater where activities fall outside of the school day or involve small group or 1:1 tuition from specialist teachers. Travel, accommodation and staffing for participation in regional or national arts competitions or festivals can incur additional cost. 

Implementing arts education will require a small amount of additional staff time compared with other approaches as it is part of the core curriculum. Arts activities may also involve professional artists, certified drama or music teachers, and staff with cultural expertise. 

Alongside time and cost, school leaders should consider how to maximise professional development needs of staff to effectively integrate arts activities (such as drama, visual arts or music) in the classroom and evaluate their impact on pupil outcomes.

Local studies:

Bolstad, R. (2011). The contributions of learning in the arts to educational, social, and economic outcomes in New Zealand: Part 2: A literature synthesis. New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Microsoft Word - The contributions of learning in the arts Part 2 FINAL - June 2011.DOC (mch.govt.nz) 

Bowell, I. (2015). Beyond the gate: Community arts participation enhances teaching and learning. Curriculum Matters, 11, 31–51. doi:10.18296/cm.0003

Ministry of Education (2014, March 25). The Arts. Te Kete Ipurangi. https://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum/The-arts/What-are-the-arts-about