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.
Following the success of the Second World Conference on Arts Education (Seoul, 2010), the UNESCO’s General Conference at its 36th session in 2011 proclaimed the fourth week of May as International Arts Education Week. 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.
On 23 May 2012 Irina Bokova, Director General, United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organisation (UNESCO), launched the inaugural International Arts Education Week at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. Attended by leading international arts education scholars and practitioners, this high profile celebration drew attention to the role arts education plays in a global agenda of peace and cultural understanding- The International Arts Education Week was unanimously endorsed by UNESCO’s 182 member states at its November 2011 General Conference (Item 5.13, recalling 35 C/ Resolution 40: On the promotion of arts education.
In 2015 and 2016, The World Alliance for Arts Education (WAAE) employed the theme for UNESCO International Arts Education Week: Arts Education for Sustainable Development. This theme recognised the ongoing importance of arts education in contributing to local and global awareness of cultural, economic, environmental and humanitarian concerns. Arts Education with a core emphasis on doing/making/presenting offers exciting, dynamic, cross generational opportunities for action.
In 2020, the World Alliance for Arts Education and its members joins UNESCO in celebrating the week alongside the global arts
education community to acknowledge the important role arts education plays in the lives of children and youth, families, and
communities during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the World Alliance for Arts Education and its members joined UNESCO in celebrating the week alongside the global arts education community to acknowledge the important role arts education plays for social inclusion.
In 2022, the World Alliance for Arts Education and its members celebrated the week with the Topic Arts Education and Peace.This theme recognised the ongoing importance of arts education in contributing to Peace Education.
The promotion of International Arts Education Week by UNESCO has provided the global arts education community with the dates of celebration through 2025. Please find them below:
- May 24-30, 2021
- May 23-29, 2022
- May 22-28, 2023
- May 20-26, 2024
- May 19-25, 2025
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Access the resources produced by UNESCO commemorations :
- The 2021 International Arts Education Week website
- The video message from Assistant Director-Generals for Education and Culture
- Educator testimonies from ensuring arts education throughout the COVID-19 pandemic - scroll to the bottom of this webpage
- UNESCO 2020 Announcement of International Arts Education Week
- Read Here the Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of International Arts Education Week, 25-31 May 2020
- Read More about UNESCO 2020 celebrations
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