IN|FORM | National Advocates for Dance Education

2019 NAAE representatives: John Nicholas Saunders (Drama Australia) Roger Dunscombe & Derek Weeks (ATOM), Linda Lorenza (Music Australia), Julie Dyson (Chair), Sue Fox (Ausdance), Margaret Baguley (AEA), Jeff Meiners (Ausdance), Antony Hubmayer (ASME), Mary Mooney (Drama Australia). Missing is Esther Anatolitis (NAVA).

‘We advocate for all Australian students to have access to all five Arts subjects throughout their primary and secondary schooling. We advocate for increased professional learning opportunities for primary school teachers—supporting them to effectively teach The Arts and improve student academic and non-academic outcomes in Arts and non-Arts areas’

The National Affiliation of Arts Educators – now the National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE) – was established in 1989 with the support of the Joint Council of Cultural and Education Ministers. It advocates for arts education in schools, develops arts education policy, promotes quality teaching and learning in the arts, and works with government agencies, teachers, schools and tertiary institutions. As the recognised peak association in the arts learning area, the NAAE provides access to an extensive network of arts educators and artists, and represents the interests, concerns, values and priorities of arts educators across Australia. Its members are:

  • Art Education Australia (AEA)

  • Australia Dance Council – Ausdance

  • Australian Society for Music Education (ASME)

  • Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM)

  • Drama Australia

  • Music Australia

  • The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA)

The strength of the NAAE lies in its united voice for all five art forms in the curriculum, at the same time ensuring that each art form is acknowledged as a separate subject with its own curriculum and achievement standards, histories, language, traditions, content and pedagogies.

NAAE’s broad and targeted scope of advocacy has led to key submissions and face-to-face meetings with federal and state ministers, education departments and arts funding agencies to promote quality arts education. Examples that highlight key strategic action include the following NAAE submissions (all found at naae.org.au):

  • The Arts: essential learning for all teachers

  • Submission to the Inquiry into innovation and creativity: workforce for the new economy; Gonski Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools.

  • NSW Curriculum Review.

  • The Arts in the Early Years Learning Framework. ‘We advocate for all Australian students to have access to all five Arts subjects throughout their primary and secondary schooling. We advocate for increased professional learning opportunities for primary school teachers—supporting them to effectively teach The Arts and improve student academic and non-academic outcomes in Arts and non-Arts areas’ 16.

  • Innovation and creativity: Inquiry into innovation and creativity: Workforce for the new economy.

Recent actions include:

  • Advice to the ALP on its Creative Australia arts and cultural policy.

  • Meetings with decision makers from all political parties and agencies advocating for arts education policies.

  • Negotiation with the National Library of Australia to develop an archival catalogue of NAAE records (back to 1989).

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, NAAE has developed a new plan for future action, identifying five key strategies of advocacy, research, collaboration, communication and governance. NAAE is also creating a new website to be launched – along with the 2019 edition of More than words can say: A view of literacy through the arts – during UNESCO’s International Arts Education Week (20- 26 May).

NAAE celebrates collegiality across art forms while maintaining the integrity of individual art forms. The NAAE website, media releases and regular Facebook postings are key communication strategies that provide members across the national arts organisations with the latest information and pertinent links to arts education research nationally and internationally.

Sue Fox (Ausdance representative)

Jeff Meiners (Ausdance representative)

Julie Dyson (Chair, NAAE)

In|FormAusdance QueenslandIssue #1