A delegation from Seychelles took part in the Unesco World Conference on Culture and Arts Education which took place between February 13 and 15, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
The delegation was headed by David Andre, secretary general of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts.
Other delegates included Jimmy Savy, executive director of the National Arts and Crafts Council (NACC); Benjamine Rose, executive director of the Seychelles National Heritage Resource Council (SNHRC); Christine Chetty, director of Seychelles Institute for Arts and Design (Siad) from the Ministry of Education; and Penda Choppy, director of Creole Language and Culture Research Institute, University of Seychelles.
The conference brought together culture and education ministers from around the world with the objective of adopting a framework for culture and arts education (Abu Dhabi Framework for Culture and Arts Education).
The framework builds on the road map for arts education and the Seoul Agenda: Goals for Arts Education.
Once adopted, the framework will be a critical tool for member States to shape integrated strategies and policies that anchor the cultural dimension in educational systems, and support them to invest in nurturing skills and competencies, notably through culture and arts, that respond to contemporary needs and opportunities.
Secretary general André’s intervention at the conference concentrated on two themes namely ‘Equitable access to culture and arts education’ and ‘lnstitutionalisation and valorisation of culture and arts education ecosystems’.
