Editorial

Abstract

Frequently marginalised and maligned, the arts in education are often positioned as a nice-to-have “extra” for students but not academically vital or significant (Ross, 1975). However, as artificial intelligence replaces the traditional workforce in numerous industries, creativity, and the arts, often seen as a conduit for creativity, have attracted renewed interest. Many educators consider the arts essential for their ability to engage and activate responsive critical thinking, possibility thinking and develop flexible learners ready to adapt to an unknown job market. National and international research documents the transformative potential of embedding quality arts processes and learning experiences across the curriculum (Biesta, 2013; Catterall, 2009; Ewing & Saunders, 2018). Recent enthusiasm for 21st-century skills has seen the arts welcomed into STE(A)M (science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths) education as part of a drive to remain economically competitive in an increasingly automated world (Geisinger, 2016; Land, 2013).