Customized Culture and Arts Education at Sookmyung Women's University... "The School is Excited"

Music and Art Fusion Program
Establishing a Two-Person Instructor Collaboration Model
Emotional Stability Benefits for Children

Sookmyung Women’s University announced on the 14th that it showcased customized cultural and artistic education at Neulbom School for first-grade elementary students. Sookmyung Women’s University created a program that integrates various artistic fields such as ecological art, music, fine arts, theater, music therapy, and art therapy by leveraging the expertise of each department, aiming to develop process-centered creative convergence arts education for emotional regulation and school life adaptation.

Art therapy classes are being conducted at Neulbom School for first-grade elementary students.
[Photo by Sookmyung Women's University]

◆Supporting Child Development through Art Therapy

Neulbom School is a national educational service that integrates after-school and care programs for elementary students. Sookmyung Women’s University was selected as the operating institution for the “2024 Neulbom School First Grade Customized Program Cultural and Artistic Education Operation Support Project,” hosted by the Ministry of Education and organized by the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service. Accordingly, the university formed the “Neulbom·Creative·Family Center,” which includes professors and researchers from the Graduate School of Child Arts Education, Department of Arts Education, and the Graduate School of Cultural Arts Education.

The Neulbom·Creative·Family Center program is not simply an art instructor looking after children in our local community; it embodies intense consideration of what characteristics art education holds in child care, the synergy and boundaries when children’s language meets artistic language, and more. Notably, it differs significantly from the existing cultural and artistic education and lecture systems conducted in schools. Moving away from the past model of dispatching a single art instructor, a cooperative model of two instructors working as a team was established. This environment allows instructors to fully demonstrate their capabilities, and children benefit from deep thinking and emotional stability through in-depth art education.

In practice, music can express emotions that are difficult to articulate in words through instruments, promoting emotional development and aiding brain function, memory, learning, and motivation. Group performance experiences encourage social interaction, which can help children adapt to school or classroom settings, and foster creativity and expressive development, maximizing children’s creativity. Research also shows that musical experiences before the age of nine result in higher learning-related cognition compared to children with less exposure to music. Fine arts provide a space where children can fully express and reveal their emotions.

Music therapy classes are being conducted at Neulbom School for first-grade elementary students.
[Photo by Sookmyung Women's University]

◆Building Mutual Trust Relationships, Demonstrating Positive Effects

The response from frontline schools has been positive. Jeju Buk Elementary School said, “We applied for the program because Sookmyung Women’s University developed a cultural and artistic education program that aligns with our school’s goals. We believe it is a program that helps children’s emotions and deep thinking through art education.” At this school, craft experts, design and art psychology specialists, and theater actors serve as instructors. They focus on providing emotional stability as the core support for first-grade students facing unfamiliarity and difficulties in adapting to school.

In Incheon City, art education centered on music and art therapy is also underway. Professor Eunseon Lee from Sookmyung Women’s University’s Graduate School of Music Therapy explained, “Trained therapists provide psychological support by utilizing various elements of music and offering time to experience instruments.” Professor Eunyeong Gil from the Graduate School of Art Therapy at Sookmyung Women’s University said, “The key point when conducting the convergence arts education program is clear. It is to positively guide children’s emotional expression, help them understand and regulate their emotions, and cultivate the ability to assess situations and adapt to and find satisfaction in school life.”

Cultural and artistic education for children is also expanding overseas. In the United Kingdom, the “Social Prescribing” program is being expanded for extensive disease treatment and emotional support. Among the social activities that doctors can directly prescribe to patients, education, sports, and artistic activities are considered important components.

Professor Ji-eon Ahn from the Department of Cultural Arts Education at Sookmyung Women’s University emphasized, “First-grade elementary students experience relief from the tension and difficulties of adapting to a new environment, build relationships with themselves, peers, and teachers, and experience the healing and growth that art offers. If children experience mutual healing and growth at Neulbom School during childhood, it brings us one step closer to the ideal of ‘inclusive citizens,’ which is the talent model of our society.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.