The China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and the COSCO Shipping Charity Foundation jointly held the "2025 Artistic Masters in Classroom: Aesthetic Education for a Bright Future" in primary and middle schools of Yuanling county of Huaihua city and Anhua county of Yiyang city, South China's Hunan province, from April 23 to 24.
During their visit to local primary and middle schools, nine experts and teachers from Central Conservatory of Music, Capital Normal University and other institutions leveraged their professional knowledge and skills in terms of choir performance, fine art, dancing and Peking Opera to hold lectures, workshops and experimental classes for over 2,500 teachers and students there.
The topics of their instruction and other interactive activities included aesthetic education, AI-driven rural education, choir conduction, artistic enlightenment of Peking Opera, ethnic dancing and creative art. They gave theoretical explanation, interactive experience and practical guidance to help grassroots teachers further improve teaching competence and stimulate students' enthusiasm as well as creativity for art.
In the master classroom, Tian Peipei, Member of the CSCLF Council, Professor and PhD adviser at Capital Normal University, talked about the importance of dancing aesthetics in the AI era to the further improvement of rural students' artistic literacy and aesthetic competence. An Ping, a professor with Central Conservatory of Music, held exchanges with local teachers over the utilization of diverse musical elements to bolster youth's cultural perception.
In the master workshop, Han Han, Vice-Professor and Young Conductor with Central Conservatory of Music, spoke about scientific vocal techniques and choir conducting skills in alignment with actual demand of local music teachers to improve their choral teaching abilities. Zhu Jian, Vice-Director of the Research and Development Center of Art Education in Asia Affiliated with Capital Normal University, held a thematic art education that stresses closer connection with the countryside.
In the creative practice class, students took part in artistic and cultural activities in relation to Peking Opera, ethnic dance, and creative arts. Teachers from the China Soong Ching Ling Science and Culture Center for Young People helped local teachers acquire practical teaching techniques through on-site demonstrations and interactive exercises, providing rural students with richer artistic education experience.
The two-day special event featured 14 sessions of artistic master classes, where specially-invited experts held warm exchanges with teachers and students, and engaged in in-depth discussions with local art education teachers, broadening students' horizons and enhancing their artistic perception and comprehension. The event received warm response and widespread praise from local education bureaus, schools, and attending teachers and students. They said that experts used their profound knowledge and vivid examples to uncover the practical secrets of empowering rural education through artistic education. All teaching cases, which ranged from the cultivation path of artistic literacy to strategies for enhancing aesthetic abilities, showed their sincere dedication to the cause of art education and infinite possibilities of art education in rural education. It also provided valuable experience and a clear direction to the future teaching work. It is believed that the seeds of art education sown today will blossom into splendid flowers of art education in their respective classrooms in the future.
Those in attendance of the event also included Fu Xiaoli, Deputy Secretary-General of the COSCO Shipping Charity Foundation, and officials from Yuanling and Anhua counties.
