In response to an outdated approach to arts education, especially in schools but also in museums, artists and educators have developed modern arts education projects that are much closer to the methodologies and concepts of contemporary art. Their efforts have resulted in a series of good practices, but these also expose the challenges of updating a largely outmoded system. Artistic organisations setting out to offer such alternatives to current models of children’s arts education aim to engage their future audiences from an early age, often emphasising the embodied social and political aspects of artistic activities. Such programmes explore, investigate, and connect to the art of today – to the ways artists research, think, and work – and they provide compelling insight into the path they take to try to make sense of the world. Karoline Rugle interviewed Hilde Marie Pedersen, head of education at Bergen Kunsthall, about their approach to youth arts education.

This article is part of the Re-Imagine Europe publication which  collects articles, essays, interviews and reports about audience engagement for interdisciplinary arts organisations. It aims to share knowledge gained throughout the Re-Imagine Europe project with professionals in the cultural sector who would like to gain a deeper insight in audience development and capacity building.