Dear Roxana

In questioning the benefits of drawing to people who do not need to draw you
touch on a fundamental aspect of drawing.   Whilst you pitch the question in
terms of health it could also been asked in terms of a broader sense of
wellbeing, and indeed in terms of human identity.  I doubt that there is a
statistical answer you could present, but I am sure there could be one and
maybe their should be.  It would be interesting to be able to make evidence
based claims that young people who draw commit n% less crime than
non-drawers, or are less suseptible to psych-somatic illness, or are more
likely to maintain stable relationships.  However, people do make these
kinds of claims for young people who participate in sport or community
activity without having the evidence base of their claims brought into
question.  Unless someone is going to do statistical research into drawers,
it may be better to base one's arguments on philosophic grounds.

Rhoda Kellog (in Analyzing Childrens Art) argues on the basis of research
that the majority of young children draw in the majority of societies and
that there is evidence to suggest that this may have been the case through
history.  If it is normal for children to draw and it is normal for children
to become adults, then a new sense of Joseph Beuys' saying that 'everyone is
an artist' emerges.  The question of why so many children and so few adults
draw also arises, and drawing can be seen as vital to personal development.
In this sense, what drawing provides access to that other activities do not
is aesthetic knowledge or knowledge of and from visual sources.  Without
this knowledge one is not a full person.  Therefore, drawing is equally
important for childrens' development as sports or community activities.

I don't know how relevant to your situation this line of reasoning might be,
but until new research has been done i think you may haved to argue your
ground on the basis of ideas rather than social sciences style research,
which as David Haley has already argued is inappropriate to the subject.
You could take a comparative approach and ask those who ask you to defend
drawing what research they know of to support alternative activities.  My
guess is that they won't know of much.

A further consideration is that the term drawing is a catch-all category
that includes art, design in its many forms, and everyday visual
communication.  Different arguments could be formulated for different forms
of drawing.  For  example self expression and visual language could be used
as arguments in different contexts.

I hope these thoughts might help

Kind regards

Tim

Professor Timothy Emlyn Jones
Dean
Burren College of Art
Newtown Castle
Ballyvaughan
Co Clare
Ireland

Tel. 00 353 (0)65 7077200

Email [log in to unmask]

www.burrencollege.com

Burren College of Art is internationally recognised as a not-for-profit
independent college specialising in undergraduate and graduate fine art
education.  We offer artists and art students from around the world time,
space and inspiration within the unique enviroment of the Burren.  The
Master of Fine Art programme is accredited by the National University of
Ireland, Galway and is operated in association with the Royal College of
Art, London and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  Our
undergraduate Study Abroad programmes, Summer School and Artist Residency
Scheme also recruit internationally.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Roxana Meechan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 5:27 PM
Subject: Health benefits of "Drawing"


As an Arts Development Officer, I often need to justify to funders and
the general public the benefits that Arts activity brings to the overall
Health of individuals but specially Children & Young People.

Please, could someone within this Drawing Research Network let me know
what hard facts/evidence (research findings/statistics) there is at the
beginning of 2004 that proves the benefits of "Drawing" in particular to
the Health & Development of Children & Young People?

Many thanks for your help!

Roxana

Roxana Meechan
Arts Development Officer - Sutherland
The Highland Council
Education, Culture & Sport
Highland Council Offices
Main Street
Golspie
Sutherland
KW10 6RB
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Tel: (01408) 635211
Fax: (01408) 633120