Making and Being- Experiential Creativity in Studio Arts : Annotated Bibliography

This Annotated Bibliography was created for my Academic Innovation Fund- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Category III pedagogical research study.

As a Professor of Visual Arts with a focus on Studio Arts, my Scholarship of Teaching and Learning grant aimed to assist in the development of student-centred, holistic, embodied, creative pedagogies. My research sought to develop a deeper awareness of what ‘holistic pedagogy’ is, and why this might matter, as well as some guiding principles and strategies for its implementation in the Studio Arts classroom. In light of the growing ‘epidemic’ of youth depression and anxiety, my project sought to establish pathways to not only support these students, but to shift the focus of the Studio Arts classroom towards integrated learning, personal development, and community engagement.

The term ‘holistic’ means that the parts of a given system are intimately interconnected, that they are understandable only in relation to the whole system. A holistic approach to teaching acknowledges that teaching is not merely the act of imparting information, but that learning happens through many different channels, direct and indirect, often simultaneously. When discussing creative pedagogies, holistic approaches acknowledge the multitudinous pathways to developing creative attunement, such as movement, spatial awareness, breathing patterns, interpersonal connection, etc… Creative artistic expression is therefore a product of global cognitive integration. How can our classrooms promote and enhance these processes, helping our students become the most engaged, empowered, and actualized individuals they can be? How might these pedagogical frameworks enhance not only student wellness, but our communities at large?

The research performed for my SoTL grant allowed me to explore the growing body of research examining new understandings of cognitive awareness, and how through holistic, student-centred, embodied approaches to learning, subjects can not only enhance creativity, but can develop individual well-being, strengthen community, and decrease the forces of alienation of our time, and to understand how to support our students better.

Holistic, student-centred learning environments can provide more than resilience in our students, they can also allow for future-oriented innovation in curricula, research, and community engagement in AMPD, and across York’s diverse curricula.

These strategies are aligned with principles of equity, inclusion, decolonization and sustainability, in that students are provided pathways to sincere expression, to develop deeper awareness of their place within community, and to consider their potential to contribute to sustainable futures.