Art for all by Miss Vida Lahey

of the arts, f o u n d e d as t h e y are o n r h y t h m , proportion a n d organisa- tion, all u n d e r l y i n g principles of lift, itself, b e r e g a r d e d as m o r e f u n d a m e n t a l l v necessarv in education t h a n other subjects ? All throtigh o u r lifeo u r e.yes h a v e b e e n trained to Ree o n l y intellectually a n d scientifically, a n d o u r ears to s u p p l e m e n t t h e m ; the l a n g u a g e of s p e e c h w e are trained to use a n d u n d e r s t a n d f r o m o u r earliest infancy, b u t t h e m e a n s to u n d e r s t a n d t h r o u g h e y e a n d ear receive practically n o training at all, a n d to live fully this is necessary. W e h a v e all b e e n starred of t h e v i t a m i n s of life. Schools, for s o l o n g o c c u p i e d in d e v e l o p i n g t h e intellect only, h a v e p r o d u c e d a lopsided individual, o n e a l m o s t entirely u n p r e p a r e d for the e n o r m o u s increase in leisure that will e n s u e if w e b e c o m e trulv civilised a n d the m a c h i n e is u s e d to free m a n f r o m u n n e c e s s a r y toil -not, b e it observed, in o r d e r t o h e idle, b u t to h a v e o p p o r t u n i t v to cultivate other a n d inuret joy-giving activities t h a n are f o u n d in t h e oilice, the s h o p a n d the factory. T h r o u g h education the orientation of o u r civilisation could b e c h a n g e d . T h a t it is possible to alter the outlook of a nation b y m o u l d i n g t h e m e n t a l i t y of the y o u n g h a s b e e n twice p r o v e d b y G e r m a n y ; a n d w h a t c a n b e d o n e to d e v e l o p o n e set of ideas c a n just a s easily b e d o n e for a n o t h e r ; all that is necessary is the vision a n d t h e will. " A s the t w i g is bent, s o is the b o u g h inclined." H a v i n g m i s s e d tliis o p p o r t u n i t y for ourselves w e c a n n o t possibly realise h o w m u c h it w o u l d m e a n to the w o r l d if e v e r y chikl's capacity for t h e e n j o y m e n t of m u s i c ancl art w e r e fully trained, T h e a i m o f course is n o t to t u r n e v e r y child into a n artist, b u t to d e v e l o p in e a c h child the capacity to e n j o v a n e w w o r l d of delight that is free a n d cozild b e o p e n to u s allvif 0111- senses w e r e trained a s mitch a s o u r intellects. T h e e n j o y m e n t of art ix l o o often r e g a r d e d a s t h e perquisite of t h e rich, a Juxury, s o m e t h i n g for t h e specialist alone, a n d to a c.ertain extent it is N o u n d e r present conditions ; b u t w h y regard this as necessary or p e r m a n e n t ? In a d e m o c r a t i c c o u n t r y it is as m i t c h a n a n a c h r o n i s m as the s m o k e nuisance a n d s l u m s will b e in a nic,dern w o r l d of electrification a n d g a r d e n cities. " B u t w h a t a b o u t e a r n i n g a living ? - a m o t h e r m a y anxiously ask. r h e children c a n n o t afford to s p e n d t i m e o n s o m e t h i n g for w h i c h there is n o e c o n o m i c d e m a n d . B u t w h o w o u l d b e s o rash as to s a y there will b e n o e c o n o m i c d e m a n d in t h e future ? S o far it h a s not b e e n tried. Therefore d o n o t project the w o r l d of t o - d a y into that of t o - m o r r o w , for n o t h i n g c h a n g e s m o r e quicklv t h a n conditions, a n d the public n e v e r k n o w s w h a t it w a n t s until it h a s b e e n provided. If y o u t a k e t h o u g h t y o u will realise t h a t there w a s n o d e m a n d for a large proportion of t h e things n o w s h o w n in t h e s h o p s until t h e y w e r e p r o d u c e d ; n o r until t h e y w e r e p r o d u c e d w a s there a n y d e m a n d for t h e scientific m a r v e l s that enrich o u r life t o - d a y - - t h e telephone, radio, c i n e m a , m o t o r car, etc. -- w h i c h n o t o n l y h a v e b r o u g h t n e w w o r l d to us, b u t h a v e created e m p l o y m e n t for millions. T h e s a m e thing w o u l d h a p p e n