The Arts Olympiad The Arts Olympiad is the world’s largest and most prestigious
arts-based program for children ages 8 to 12. The Third Arts Olympiad
(2005-2008) theme My Favorite Sport celebrates the “artist-athlete” ideal
of a creative mind and healthy body. The lesson plans encourage artistically
inclined children to develop their physical abilities and inspire athletically
inclined children to be creative. Canal Futura, Brazil’s educational television translated the Arts
Olympiad Lesson Plan into Portuguese and involved 484 schools and an
estimated 29,000 students in the Third Arts Olympiad. The Arts Olympiad
in Israel commenced with a conference for art and sport instructors at
the Israeli Sport Institute and culminated with exhibitions at the Ministry
of Education, Culture and Sport in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Dr. Naomi
Jaffe, National Superintendent for Art & Theatre Studies, states: “The
Arts Olympiad has become a great national celebration in Israel.” The
Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation partnered with the Shanghai
Children International Culture Development Co., Children’s Palace
of China Welfare Institute, and Shanghai ToonMax Television to involve
nearly one million children in the “My Favorite Sport” competition. At the community level, the Arts Olympiad develops empathy invoked through
art and team spirit instilled by sport to promote the Olympic ideals
of mutual respect and tolerance. At the Olympic Center outside Zagreb, First Lady Milka Mesic hosted
a two-day celebration in February 2006 for the 30 Croatian Arts Olympiad
semi-finalists. The children stayed in dorms normally reserved for Olympic
athletes and interacted with Gordan Kozulj, Croatia’s star swimmer.
In Ethiopia, the African Child Policy Forum translated the Arts Olympiad
Lesson Plan into Amharic, and received 3,268 art competition entries.
The Ethiopian Television and Radio covered the exhibition hosted at the
Embassy of Bulgaria in Addis Ababa on December 15, 2005. In the urban
square of the Sharjah Art Museum in the United Arab Emirates, 18 best
artworks were displayed on October 12, 2005 for the judges to select
the UAE Arts Olympiad finalist. With a clipboard in hand, the judges
stopped at each easel, took notes and carefully made their selections. Many children never receive encouragement or gain the opportunity to
make art unless presented with the Arts Olympiad experience. Forty-four students with physical and mental handicaps at the Spring
Branch Independent School District participated in the Third Arts Olympiad.
The organizers, Jody and David Butler, had traveled to Greece and Italy
to study ancient sculptures and their relationship to modern Olympics.
The children participated in twelve activities that combined art and
sport. USA Track & Field 2000 Olympian, Eric Thomas, presented awards
to the “artist-athletes.” ICAF's Education
Partners include Americans for the Arts, the American Alliance
for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), the
Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), the National Art Education
Association (NAEA) and the United Nation Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Third Arts Olympiad (2005-2008)
Second
Arts Olympiad (2001-2004)
First
Arts Olympiad (1997-2000) Support the Fourth Arts Olympiad (2009-2012) The Fourth Arts Olympiad (2009-2012) will be launched in early 2009. Donate today online
or by check. Every dollar counts. Your contributions help us get more
children involved in the Arts Olympiad, provide art materials
to underprivileged children,
and sponsor the finalists who otherwise can not afford to participate
in the World Children's Festival.
- For $50 the ICAF will send the free lesson plan and two ChildArt
magazine to a low-income school.
- For $100 the ICAF will provide art supplies to a low-income school
that lacks an art program.
- For $1,000 the ICAF will invite a disadvantaged child artist,
a teacher and parent to the festival.
Donate today and promote international
understanding through the arts. Back to top
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