IDEA, WAAE and UNESCO

WAAE was formed in March 2006. through a partnership between three arts education organizations: IDEA, the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) and the International Society for Music Education (ISME) later to be joined by the World Dance Alliance. We represent a strong platform with the united voices of our global membership for the promotion and advocacy of arts education. We cover the wide field of all arts education: drama/theatre, dance, music and visual arts education, and work on advocacy actions for our fields.
The collective voice of our associations convinced UNESCO to include art educators in their Roadmap for Arts Education, one of the most important documents that is the outcome of the UNESCO Conference in Lisbon in 2006.

IDEA as part of WAAE has been actively involved in the creation and dissemination of a global survey about the situation and needs of arts, in our case drama/theatre educators, that informed and augmented the research needed for the new UNESCO . document “Framework for Culture and Arts Education” ratified in Abu Dhabi in 2024.

The International Arts Education Week aims at increasing the international community’s awareness on the importance of arts education and at reinforcing its co-operation by promoting cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and social cohesion.
It was proclaimed in 2011 at the UNESCO’s General Conference and  launched  at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris in 2012.
 
In 2015 and 2016, IDEA and colleagues in the World Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE) employed the theme for UNESCO International Arts Education Week:  Arts Education for Sustainable Development.  Ever since then, WAAE has been choosing themes for the week, that in 2026. changed its name to International Culture and Arts Education Week.

 

Almost every year a Global WAAE Summit is organized in different parts of the world, with the active participation of IDEA and its members.

https://www.waae.online/

Unitwin ‘Arts Education in and through a time of crisis’ onlin_26.5.21.by Adriana Nichting

IDEA ADVOCACY

IDEA has been developing different strategies for advocacy, besides the active work in the WAAE Executive Council with the involvement of the IDEA President as one of its four members, and the collaboration with UNESCO. We have initiated actions accepted by our membership and the WAAE, during the IDEA Day celebrations or the UNESCO International Art Education week.
Here are some examples:

2008, IDEA Day 2007, History of WAAE – IDEA

2019, Frankfurt Declaration WAAE 2010, UNESCO. Larry O’ Farrel Report

WAAE Message Concerning Recent Violence Around the World The Reykjavik Manifesto

Ring the Bells for Arts Education UNESCO International Arts Education Week

ADVOCACY DOCUMENTS

The Hangzhou Declaration

The Athens Declaration

Joint Declaration WAAE

WAAE Frankfurt Declaration

UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education

2006, Arts Education Roadmap

2010, Seoul Agenda