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UNESCO convened 120 stakeholders from across Chile for an interdisciplinary forum on art and education

At the first working session of the National Forum on Arts Education, participants committed to launching a document by the end of 2021 with proposals and guidelines for decision-makers, aiming to strengthen the dialogue between culture and education.

20 August 2021

Last update:19 February 2025

More than 120 representatives from the culture and education sectors were invited by the UNESCO Office in Chile to take part in the National Forum on Arts Education, which sought to answer the question: What kind of arts education do we want for Chile?

This initial working session, held as part of Arts Education Week, brought together representatives from international and national institutions, including UNESCO and UNICEF, as well as members of ministries, universities, museums, cultural centers, arts festivals, schools, and teachers and students from primary and secondary education across Chile.

In line with its mandate, UNESCO carries out activities to promote the diversity of cultural expressions by supporting the arts and artists at the national, regional, and global levels. Arts education plays a key role in transforming education systems and directly contributes to addressing the social and cultural challenges facing society. For this reason, UNESCO promotes the integration of the arts into educational spaces throughout life.

Nicolás del Valle, Head of the Culture Department at the UNESCO Office in Chile, emphasized the organization’s commitment to advancing arts education, stating that “no progress in this area will be possible without the participation and voices of various civil society actors, especially today, in a time of significant change for Chile, where education and culture should be essential elements in shaping the country’s future.”

Del Valle added that “this pandemic crisis presents a unique opportunity to reduce gaps and inequalities through a dialogue between culture and education. In this sense, this national forum is part of UNESCO’s global effort to continue the conversation with countries, cultural agents, and educators in different regions, to rethink education and the role of the arts, culture, and heritage in providing a relevant, high-quality, and transformative education committed to social change.”

During the event, participants—organized by gender and regional focus—expressed their gratitude for the invitation and reaffirmed their commitment to the forum, which will continue until mid-October. In December 2021, a document with recommendations for decision-makers will be released, ensuring that this analysis is not solely crafted by a panel of experts but instead reflects the testimonies, experiences, and proposals of various stakeholders across Chile.

Participants joined the event online.