Orchestrating the future: Why the arts belong at the heart of a broad curriculum
Written by: James Clements
6 min read
JAMES CLEMENTS, HEADMASTER OF FOREST PREPARATORY SCHOOL, FOREST SCHOOL, LONDON, UK
Introduction
We often talk about preparing pupils for the future. But in a world shaped by accelerating technological change, evolving career landscapes and complex social and environmental challenges, what does that really entail? The realities that our pupils will face are not fully knowable. In such a context, success depends on more than subject knowledge alone; it requires adaptability, empathy, creativity and the ability to think and work flexibly. The OECD’s Future of Education and Skills 2030/2040 project (OECD, 2018) calls for curricula that prioritise these ‘transformative competencies’ – including resilience, collaboration and creativity, which help young people to shape their world actively and responsibly.
Drawing on current education research, cognitive science and practice-based evidence, this article argues that embedding the performing and visual arts at the heart of a bro
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