Evening star., 1943-09-05
England Bringing
Cultured Arts to
Masses of People
By Leila Mechlin.

Dy 1Cfa lFL CLHttba
In Britain today the best art, music
and drama the country can produce
are being taken to the people every
where on the British Isles as never
before and finding cordial welcome.
Art exhibitions comprising the works
of the foremost artists are being
circulated, concerts by the leading
orchestras and musicians are being
given in places previously unvisited
the drama groups which have given
performances heretofore in city the
aters are now playing before audi
ences made up of industrial workers
and miners as we'll as servicemen.
It Is thoroughly democratic move
ment, and, by attendance and ap-
probation shown, would seem to
prove that in these cultural fields
the best speaks for itself. Only the
mediocre needs explanation and
promotion.
The British government has, 1t is
said, always been unwilling to inter-
fere in the field of the arts" and
hence when first approached in re-
gard to supporting this trial pro-
gram, which has justified itself so
magnif1cently, refused-partly on
the legitimate grounds that all avail
able funds must go into the war
effort. Happily the Pilgrim Trust,
founded by the late Edward Hark-
ness, art-loving, public-spirited
American, for charitable and edu-
cational purposes in Great Britain,
recognized the potentialities of the
project and agreed to pay half the
cost. Immediately thereafter the
British government Withdrew its OBJ
lection and guaranteed the other
half.
The joint fund is administered by
a Council for the Encouragement of
Music and the Arts, which is work
ing with the cooperation of the
Board of Education. BY those who
have seen the program in develop
ment it is thought that the "adyen-
turous policy" followed will have q
lasting and far-reaching effect on
British social life. No doubt it will.
To educate by amusing, without the
means employed so tagged, is a
straight road to finer living. That
the experiment in Britain was made
possible and has the support of the
Pilgrim Trust cannot fail to give
pride to all American advocates of
the arts.
Reports on Art Education
That both our country and Great
Britain are looking beyond these
days of war to those of peace is
shown by two epoch-marking reports
on art education recently published
and given wide circulation. The one
issued in this country has chiefly
to do with the adjustment of the
college curriculum to wartime con-
ditions and needs-obviously also
looking to the future-and comes
from the United States Office of
Education, Federal Security Agency,
while that from Great Britain is
concerned with the place of art in
The secondary schools and was drawn
up by a special committee appointed
by the Royal Society of Arts, Lon
don. To an interesting extent both
stress, as of first Importance, the
place of art in life-a life worth
ilving-art as a national asset-one
OF the cornerstones of democracy.
The ONCE of Education's report
was drawn up by group of pro-
fessors OF art in our leading COL
leges and art museum workers in
the Held OF education, IL in num-
Der, headed by Sumner NICK. Crosby,
president of the College Art Asso-
citation, as well as assistant profess
sor of art at Yale University. After
describing the place of art in a
country at war as evidence of that
most precious thing for which we
are ighting-culture, the flower of
ciyilization-the writers declare its
value in power to sustain the spirit
IN the presence of a great human
tragedy and, even more, to have a
direct bearing on winning and sus-
tanning the peace. Its relation and
uses in everyday life are enumer-
ated. Each branch of art-archi-
lecture, painting, industrial design
etc.-is fully considered, as well as
the educational service rendered by
art museums. But always the i'm
portance of craftsmanship, knowl-
edge of the past and scholarship
are emphasized. The Interpretation
obviously is left to instructors. The
purpose served is the re-establish-
fnent of immutable ideals and a
simplification of methods of attain
ment.
Postwar Art Teaching.
The report issued by the Royal
Society of Arts gives first consider
alton to the service art may render
In postwar days to British indus
tries. A few quotations will show
the trend. TN order to hold a
rightful place in the worlds in
dustry, it is necessary that high
standard of art and design, as well
as of craftsmanship, shall be
achieved, but of greater Importance
still, no really fine standard oi
civilization can be attained unless
a lively sense of beauty leavens the
whole community. If this sense Ii
lacking In, the is,dividflol t,a narpo,