When I was first asked to edit this book, the researcher in me delighted at the opportunity to provide case studies from different cultural traditions with a team of like-minded fellow artists, educators and researchers. But as the book took shape I also discovered a true passion for its fundamental messages. Educating in the Arts – the Asian Experience talks about how landscapes and histories, farms and cities, the mountains, seas and skies interact with lives and form the backdrop for stories that build and link the creative clusters of a place. This book has provided a wonderful opportunity to delve into the many worlds that incorporate the arts, particularly where the arts inform, inspire and look for answers to difficult questions. Having attracted a broad range of contributors from every corner of the Asian region, a substantial collection of detailed information has emerged. Each story has an approach that is universal yet culturally unique. Close your eyes and see the colours, smell the smells and hear the voices of the children against the background rhythms of song birds, urban traffic or whistling winds.
