Spain/ 8.3 Arts and cultural education  

8.3.5 Basic out-of-school arts and cultural education

Decisions around the provision of extra-curricular arts activities are made at a local level, often by schools themselves. They design the content of their own extra-curricular activities although the education authorities may give financial aid. In addition, many municipalities provide artistic and cultural activities for children and young people through schools of music, theatre or dance, which cover a part of the extracurricular activities of these groups. In general terms, Spain views extra-curricular arts activities as an informal method of contributing to the development of pupils, rather than as making a direct contribution to their curriculum studies.

At national level, in 2009 the Ministry of Culture announced the implementation of a comprehensive programme of actions designed to promote and facilitate access to culture for children and young people. This would include increased access for these groups and their families to museum activities and to theatrical and musical productions; the design of new measures in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and the autonomous regions; and the launch of a web portal aimed at children and adolescents, so they could come into contact from an early age with traditions and cultural heritage. In this context, in October 2009, the Ministry of Culture launched the Cultural Games website, with questions on topics of interest of Spanish culture, and in April 2010, it published The Game of Questions and Answers, especially addressed to young audiences. Since 2009, a group of state-owned museums organise activities within the Cultural Christmas for Families Programme with the aim of linking culture to leisure time and making it accessible from an early age.

Throughout the Spanish territory, different cultural facilities (museums, concert halls, theatres, etc.) offer educational activities for children and young people or families to disseminate cultural heritage and bring culture closer to this strategic segment of population. These initiatives are aimed at completing their training and contributing to increase the number of future consumers of culture.

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