Studies have shown that music education is beneficial in many ways for the development of social competences, fostering social inclusion, enhancing creativity and promoting critical thinking. On this topic, IYMF has published an article on this blog. In addition, it can well lay the groundwork for professional orientation towards a career in the music sector.
Music education can have a formal but also non-formal and informal dimension. Even if this call focuses on informal/non-formal music education, it has to be seen as part of a broader concept of art education.
In its resolution on the New European Agenda for Culture, the European Parliament highlighted in the same spirit the role of music and arts education in schools and stressed its added value. Education and training systems, together with non-formal and informal learning , have a fundamental role to play in developing creative and innovative capacities from an early age as key factors in enhancing future economic competitiveness and employability and equally important in promoting personal fulfilment and development, social inclusion and active citizenship.
The Council Recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning should be taken into account alongside the recently updated European reference framework on key competences for lifelong learning (2018) which defines “Cultural awareness and expression” as one of the eight key competences necessary for employability, personal fulfilment and health, active and responsible citizenship and social inclusion.