On Visual Arts education 

I recently read a news item about visual arts education in Ghana that said a cross-section of visual arts students in the Ashanti Region welcomed the introduction of a pre-engineering programme as an opportunity to express their creative skills.

The story further said that to the students, the programme offers a unique opportunity to correct the erroneous impression that Visual Arts is meant for those who are academically weak.

This piece of information left me considering what Visual Arts education is like, at least, in Finland, if not other European countries.  

The Visual Arts education in Finland

In Finland, there are around 40 universities, including 10 major and multidisciplinary ones like the University of Helsinki.

From this number, there are four specialised universities, including the Hanken School of Economics and the University of the Arts, Helsinki (Uniarts).

This University of the Arts, Helsinki, is the most known that is devoted to visual arts education. According to information on its website, the University of the Arts, Helsinki, provides the highest level of education in music, fine arts, theatre and dance in Finland.

It is an international forerunner in education and research in the field of arts, and strengthens the role of art as a force that reforms society. Established in 2013, Uniarts Helsinki consists of the Academy of Fine Arts, Sibelius Academy and Theatre Academy (see, https://www.uniarts.fi/en/).

Study programmes

The University of Arts, Helsinki offers degree and other areas of study. Students can study programmes such as printmaking, painting, sculpture, moving image, and photography.

For example, the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts offers education in sculpture, the moving image, painting, contextual art, graphics arts and photography.

The Sibelius Academy, named after the world famous Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius, is a school for music. At the Sibelius Academy, students can study church music, classical music performance, etc. The Theatre Academy is devoted to studies in theatre performances such as acting, directing and dramaturgy.

The university offers the bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programmes and non-degree studies. It has become quite international.

Learning from Finland

Why am I writing about all this? The answer is simple. I simply admire Finland’s emphasis on fine arts or visual arts education, which also indicates that there is a move away from too much emphasis on theoretical subjects to the neglect of the practical ones.

I think we can learn from the Finnish model and establish at least a university like the University of the Arts, Helsinki, with Academies such as a music academy, if this is not already thought about.

I think this can easily be done, bringing together some institutions to form such a university in Ghana. I will even suggest that such an academy of music can be named after our own late famous composer Ephraim Amu, just as Finland has a music academy named after their own Jean Sibelius. (Here, I am also thinking about the internationalisation advantage).

The National Academy of Music (NAM) at Winneba may have become part of the larger University of Education, Winneba. But, I think there are other such institutions that can easily be turned into the University of the Arts following the Finnish model.

I think there are also theatre institutions which can easily be turned into an academy as part of a university of the arts in Ghana. Thank you!