Closing the digital divide: Stockholm’s innovative arts education initiative
Project: addressing the need for digital equity through ‘Kulturskolan Stockholm’
The Purpose
To support the growth and development of children and young people in Stockholm, aiding them in becoming creative individuals with enhanced digital proficiency. The ambition was to offer digital skills to a broader audience of young people and adapt the organisation to operate effectively in the digital realm.
The Challenge
Addressing the need for digital equity within arts education by enhancing the skills of educators and students.
In 2021, 4,643 participants, including children and teenagers, engaged in digital courses and subjects delivered through online or hybrid digital formats.
The Solution
Kulturskolan Stockholm (Stockholm School of the Arts) is Sweden’s largest youth art school, serving over 17,000 young people aged 6 to 22 with more than 70 different subjects. Recognising the digital and technological shift in Swedish culture and the disparity in technological access and equity, Kulturskolan introduced the Digital School of the Arts.
The Digital School of the Arts is a collaboration between The Stockholm School of the Arts and The Malmö School of the Arts, where they share programming, knowledge and approaches, to expand their digital offerings. The school has developed new curricula in audiovisual and new technologies, including game development, film and music production, podcast creation and virtual reality. By adopting a hybrid model that offers courses and content both in person and online, the Digital School of the Arts has reached a more diverse audience, including individuals from various backgrounds.
The Impact
The initiative has been a learning process for administrators, instructors, and teachers, enabling them to discover the most effective technical platforms and methods for sharing and distributing digital content and program materials with participants and collaborators. It has also strengthened digital competencies and skills within the school. The Digital School of the Arts has not only expanded access to digital courses and subjects but also fostered the development of digital competencies and skills within the school. In 2021, 4,643 participants, including children and teenagers, engaged in digital courses and subjects delivered through online or hybrid digital formats.
Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022
Images Courtesy © Getty/Canva
