Using Your Arts Program To Drive School Culture
In many schools, the arts are treated as an enrichment activity rather than a central pillar of school culture. But what if the arts were leveraged as a driving force for shaping the values, identity, and community of a school? When arts programs are fully integrated into a school's ecosystem, they become a powerful vehicle for student engagement, staff collaboration, and cultural affirmation.
The Arts as the Heartbeat of a School
A thriving school culture is built on shared traditions, collective experiences, and a sense of belonging. The arts naturally foster all three by:
Creating Shared Rituals: School-wide performances, morning meetings with movement or music, and collaborative art installations offer opportunities for students and staff to participate in creative traditions.
Strengthening School Identity: Visual and performing arts reflect the unique spirit of a school community. Student-designed murals, musical anthems, and culturally affirming dance programs help shape a school’s identity in ways that feel authentic and student-centered.
Encouraging Expression and Voice: A strong arts program provides students with avenues to express their thoughts, ideas, and cultural identities, fostering a climate of openness and inclusivity.
Strategies for Embedding the Arts into School Culture
1. Align the Arts with School Values
Every school has core values that guide its approach to learning and community. The arts should reflect and amplify those values. If a school prioritizes social-emotional learning, movement-based activities can be integrated into advisory sessions. If diversity and inclusion are priorities, arts programming should center diverse voices, artistic traditions, and culturally responsive practices.
2. Make the Arts Visible
A school where the arts are embedded into the culture should look and feel creative the moment someone walks in. Consider:
Hallways filled with student artwork that reflects learning themes or school values.
Interactive installations where students contribute to ongoing artistic projects.
Daily or weekly showcases of student performances, music, or dance during assemblies, lunch, or transition periods.
3. Integrate the Arts Across Subjects
Arts programming should not exist in isolation. Schools can use the arts to deepen learning across disciplines:
In History: Students can create dance pieces or theatrical interpretations of historical events.
In Science: Music and rhythm can help students understand patterns, cycles, and formulas.
In English/Language Arts: Spoken word poetry and storytelling can enhance comprehension and literacy skills.
4. Build Cross-Departmental Collaboration
The arts should not be siloed into specific classrooms. Partner with academic teachers, counselors, and school leaders to infuse creativity throughout the school experience. For example:
A science teacher and dance educator can co-teach a unit on physics through movement.
A social studies class can use visual art to explore historical narratives and activism.
A literacy team can integrate drama and spoken word into their curriculum to engage reluctant readers.
5. Use the Arts to Strengthen Community Engagement
Families and the wider school community should feel connected to the arts program. Schools can achieve this by:
Hosting community-wide arts nights where students, families, and staff participate in workshops and performances.
Developing partnerships with local artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions to bring in guest teaching artists or organize field trips.
Encouraging parent involvement in productions, exhibitions, and workshops to build intergenerational engagement.
6. Empower Student Leadership in the Arts
Give students ownership of arts initiatives by creating:
Student Arts Committees that help plan school events and design projects.
Student-Led Performances where students choreograph, direct, or produce their own shows.
Arts Mentorship Programs that allow older students to mentor younger students in various artistic disciplines.
The Impact of an Arts-Driven School Culture
When the arts are truly embedded in school culture, the impact is profound. Schools become more vibrant, inclusive, and engaging spaces where students see themselves reflected in their education. Attendance improves, student motivation increases, and social-emotional learning deepens. The arts shift from being an “extra” to becoming the very foundation of how a school expresses its values and connects its community.
By centering the arts in school culture, we create environments where creativity thrives, students find their voice, and the entire community is enriched. The question is not if your school should use the arts to shape culture, but how you can harness their full potential.
What role do the arts play in shaping your school’s culture? Drop a comment and share how your school leverages the power of creativity to build community!
