Alice - In Germany
Annelies Štrba - Nyima 438, 2009. Courtesy Annelies Štrba and Frith Street Gallery, London.© VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012.
Ever since Lewis Carroll gave the original manuscript of Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland to 10-year-old Alice Liddell as an early Christmas gift in 1864, the visualization of the story has been an integral aspect of the work. From the late 19th century to the present day, visual artists around the world have found their own ways to reflect and portray the imaginative dreamlike world first discovered by an extremely curious and courageous little girl. So what do Carroll’s “Alice” books mean to Germans young and old?
The Hamburger Kunsthalle is now presenting its own Alice in the Wonderland of Art exhibition, a considerably modified version of the Alice in Wonderland exhibits shown earlier this year at the Tate Liverpool (UK) and the MART Rovereto (Italy). The exhibit features many new works drawn from Hamburger Kunsthalle’s own collection as well as from other major international museums and private collections. I asked the Curator of the exhibit, Dr. Annabelle Görgen-Lammers, to take me down the rabbit hole and talk me through the fantastic experience that visitors to the Hamburger Kunsthalle have in store.
Thorsten Brinkmann - Bertha von Schwarzflug mit Zahmesdunkel, 2010.Courtesy Galerie Mathias Günther. © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012.
What do Lewis Carroll’s “Alice” books mean to Germans young and old?
Most Germans seem to remember Carroll’s “Alice” from their childhood. Their parents have read it to them and they have read it to their children, or they have seen one of the multiple “Alice” films. Thus for most visitors, the first association with the exhibition is going back into their own childhood and rediscovering the childhood feelings and childhood questions. However, especially with the last popular film (by Tim Burton), “Alice” has become very popular with all people. Finally, with cult-films of the 1990s like Matrix referring to scenes from “Alice”, mid-life people started to rediscover the wide range of interpretations and different layers of the story. As “Alice” has become part of the collective memory worldwide, and this to a great degree based on the multiple films, we also placed an emphasis on film rooms with artistic interpretations of the story from the very first film (1903) onwards. We also added historical and recent popular theatre references — costumes and films — of productions our public in Germany remembers (e.g. a Robert Wilson show with music from Tom Waits).
What can visitors to the Hamburger Kunsthalle “Alice in the Wonderland of Art” exhibit expect to discover when they visit?
The broad range of media on show demonstrates the variety of approaches to this subject matter, and with a special mise-en-scene, the exhibition transforms itself into a striking visual wonderland. Visitors can thus expect to discover new information on the making and reception of the story and exhibits of the highest art-historical quality. In addition, they also can expect to dive emotionally and psychically into a wonderland themselves. They are confronted with very sensual art works, film rooms and whole room installations, in which their own bodies will seem to have shrunk together or expanded like Alice’s. With these corporal experiences they can start to understand in an emotional way all the metamorphoses Alice had to go through. They actually can experience what it is like to be confronted with repeated metamorphoses of the rooms, the language, the images, and their own bodies, and thus they can experience what it means to be confronted like Alice with the constant metamorphoses of your very self.
Pipilotti Rist - Das Zimmer, 1994. Friedrich Christian Flick Collection in Hamburger Bahnhof.© Courtesy Pipilotti Rist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Stefan Rohner.
What will make the Kunsthalle’s exhibit unique in contrast to the Mart and the Tate version?
The artistic reflections on the subject of Alice in Wonderland clearly show that hidden within this apparently simple children’s story is an intricate web of references to the history of ideas, principles of logic and philosophical concerns. At the same time it is a highly entertaining story that contains many absurd, alogical or nonsense elements, and it is also peppered with subtle wit and irony. The imaginative dream-like world of the narrative thus allows existential issues to be explored in a “playful way.” We took this “playful way” of experiencing highly philosophical questions “seriously.” We took it as a model for our additions and remodeling of the exhibition. We added more than 20 additional artistic positions. Amongst others, we added fascinating works of very well-known artists like Pipilotti Rist, Leonor Fini, and Sir John Tenniel. We added major works of well-known German artists such as Stephan Balkenhol, and room-installations of Stephan Huber, but we also included very playful, sensual works of unknown young artists such as an interactive installation of the Finnish artist Hanna Haaslahti. In addition, we arranged the exhibition in a completely new way. We quit the strict chronology and invented a course of metamorphoses that the visitor can experience himself. To help the public, which may not be completely clear anymore on the fascinating ideas and texts of the original book, we placed in every room one of the illustrations of John Tenniel, like a motto, introducing the specific topics and social or philosophical questions to which the artists displayed in the room refer.
Sir Peter Blake - Illustrationen für Through the Looking-Glass, 1970. Tate Collection.© Peter Blake 2002. VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012.
Can you tell us about some of the German artists and writers that have been inspired by Lewis Carroll’s works? Are any of these important artists or their works featured in the Kunsthalle exhibit?
We added a lot of important works by international as well as German artists such as Max Ernst, Richard Oelze, Thorsten Brinkmann, Stephan Balkenhol, and Stephan Huber. Stephan Huber’s room installation for example consists of a tiny, secret door through which all visitors have to pass, to encounter behind this a giant hat of more than 2 meters size, which finally speaks to you, citing experiences that Alice had.
Do you think Germans are aware of the story behind the story, i.e. that Alice Liddell was Carroll’s inspiration for the story and also that many of the characters in the book were inspired by her family and her environment?
I think after the visit to the exhibition, which includes a lot of material on Dodgson and the Liddell family, the visitor’s view on Alice is enriched on not only this point. As I have already experienced in the first weeks of the exhibition, this information is of great interest to the public who want to learn more about the historical background of this most imaginative story. Finally, we even have a photo by Dodgson of Alice Liddell as our main marketing motif and thus everyone dives into the wonderland by first getting to know the context of its creation.
Kiki Smith - Pool of Tears II (after Lewis Carroll), 2000.© Kiki Smith/Universal Limited Art Editions, Inc.
What does this exhibit mean to you?
I think it is a great chance for every visitor to rediscover himself and his own childhood dreams — the fears as well as the hopes, the fantastic as well as the cruel sides of growing up. Thus it is a chance to reflect on one’s own life, in addition to discovering fascinating and historically prominent artworks. In the two years preparation, I myself had the chance by diving back into the book again to completely fall in love again with the story, its wit, and its deep content. Even if Wonderland is cruel in some parts, Carroll showed us that humor is a way to solve things. It is a highly philosophical book, which can be read on different layers like the exhibition we created about it and out of its spirit.
What are some of your personal favorites in the exhibits?
As I am a specialist on surrealist art, I highly respect and value the reflection of the book by the surrealists, such as in Max Ernst’s “Alice from 1941.” But I also love the room installations allowing the spectator to become a playful participant and forcing him or her to reflect on his or her own identity. I highly appreciate the fascinating art films on Carroll’s inventions, such as Jan Svankmeier’s film, Jabberwocky, or Gary Hills’ Come on Petunia. But indeed, as in Wonderland, it is not the single encounter or one single work which puts things into question, it is the whole deliberately incoherent flow of the story and thus the totality of our reworked exhibition which is my favorite.
For more information on the Hamburger Kunsthalle “Alice” exhibit
Dr. Annabelle Görgen-Lammers and C. M. Rubin
All photos are courtesy of the Hamburger Kunsthalle.
C. M. Rubin is the author of two widely read online series for which she received a 2011 Upton Sinclair award, “The Global Search for Education” and “How Will We Read?” She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Alice — Join in the Race!
“What is a Caucus Race?” said Alice.
“Why,” said the Dodo, “the best way to explain it is to do it.”
Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8, 2012 will be the fifth Alice’s Day event (celebrating 150 years since Lewis Carroll’s first telling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) in the historic city of Oxford, England.
While the majority of Alice’s Day activities will take place on Saturday July 7, The Caucus Race, a free outdoor event on Sunday, July 8, is also expected to attract thousands of visitors to the historic city the day before the Olympic flame for London 2012 passes through.
“We are proud to be selected to feature in the London 2012 Festival, part of the Cultural Olympiad,” says Cath Nightingale, Communications Director of the Story Museum. “Our Caucus Race is different from any other race since everyone can take part and there are no rules!”
The Caucus Race — a madcap re-enactment of the race featured in chapter three of Lewis Carroll’s classic story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland — will take place on Merton Field, part of Christ Church where Lewis Carroll originally penned the novel. This very different multi-art-form kind of race is presented by the Story Museum in collaboration with Big Dance, and is directed by Cirque Bijou.
Dance, music, street theater, and creatures ranging from the Dodo to the Dormouse, promise spectacular Wonderland entertainment for young and old that is not to be missed. And those wanting to get into a Caucus Race musical mood can do so the day before. The Caucus Race story will be presented by the renowned Oxford Girls’ Choir, featuring opera singer baritone Roderick Williams as the Dodo. This is the first time that Williams, who wrote the children’s opera, Alice in Wonderland, will also be performing in it. I had the opportunity to chat with Williams about the production.
Roderick, please tell us about your children’s opera, Alice In Wonderland.
I wrote the full-scale children’s opera, adapting Lewis Carroll’s novel, which was first performed by the Oxford Girls’ Choir in 1992. There were dozens of solo parts for the singers, choral set-pieces, dances and the like, and it was accompanied by a chamber orchestra of 16 players. The opera was in two acts, with the first concerning Alice’s fall down the hole and her attempts to get into the garden, and with the second act describing her adventures when she finally finds her way in. Since then, the entire opera has been performed several times. I have also transcribed the piece for piano and smaller ensemble. The extract that we are performing on Saturday, July 7 is a short scene from the first act, The Caucus Race, where Alice meets various animals who have been swimming to safety from the pool of tears she created when she was larger. The Caucus Race comes about as an attempt to dry themselves off.
What inspired you to write the opera?
I had performed Dido and Aeneas alongside the Oxford Girls’ Choir several times and had seen first hand how well they could sing, act and dance. Richard Vendome, Musical Director of the choir, and I discussed a project that would make the most of the Oxford connection, a story based specifically around a young girl rather than a boy, which would make the most of all the talent in the choir. He then commissioned me to write the opera.
What for you is most special about the choir’s performance?
It is always a special and priceless experience to see anyone else perform something you have written. The act of taking a piece which was once mine and making it theirs is in essence what music is about, and I find that process profoundly exciting.
Why do you think the world is still crazy about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,147 years after its original publication?
I think all of us have tried to make sense of an adult world which is fundamentally crazy. In Alice we see the world from her innocent point of view, and while it is magical, it is also utterly bizarre. I think all of us can relate to Alice’s struggle. Lewis Carroll, for all his quiet, academic existence, seems to have been able to empathize directly with his child heroine, and I think that is why his story is so completely absorbing.
The Caucus Race story, an extract from the children’s opera Alice in Wonderland, will be presented by the Oxford Girls’ Choir featuring Roderick Williams in the courtyard of the Story Museum, Oxford on Saturday, July 7 at 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. For more information on Alice’s Day:http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/the-story-museum/alice
Roderick Williams and C. M. Rubin
Photos courtesy of The Story Museum and Roderick Williams
C. M. Rubin is the author of two widely read online series for which she received a 2011 Upton Sinclair award, “The Global Search for Education” and “How Will We Read?” She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
Alice — Victoria!
Welcome to the 2012 Victorian Extravaganza in Llandudno, the largest street entertainment event in Wales.
My Dearest Cousin Anne,
Have been invited to Llandudno in Wales first week of May to participate in the town’s annual Victorian Extravaganza celebrations. Shall also be doing book signings at Waterstones book store for my book, The Real Alice in Wonderland. Wondering if you would be interested in joining me?
*****
My Dear Cousin Cathy,
I’m in! I assume when you say Victorian Extravaganza, you’re referring to Victoria as in the British Queen (24 May, 1819 - 22 January, 1901); real name: Alexandrina Victoria; nickname: Drina. Born in England, only spoke German until age 3. Married first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, at age 16 (she had to propose to him because as Queen that was the protocol). Ascended British throne in 1837 at age 18. Had nine children who produced 42 grandchildren. Married them all off to members of European Royal families. Became known as the Great Grandmother of Europe(FYI, cousin — the present Queen, Elizabeth II and husband, Prince Phillip are both her great-great grandchildren!) Her 63-year, 7-month reign (the longest of any female monarch in history) is known as the Victorian Age, noted for great industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military innovation. Britain became most powerful country in the world, and Victoria, the ruler of one quarter of the world’s population. And she was only 5 feet tall! Hence her famous quote, “Everybody grows but me!”
*****
My Dearest Cousin Anne,
‘Tis the one and same Victoria. I recall reading that a pair of her royal bloomers measured 50 inches around the waist (a 28 inch increase from her accession dress) in the 1890s. Alice in Wonderland might have commented, “Don’t talk nonsense. You know you’re growing too.”
Some historical trivia on the real Alice and Victoria: Alice Liddell and her family regularly spent holidays at their holiday home in Llandudno. Alice was actually romantically linked to Victoria’s youngest son, Prince Leopold… it’s all in my book, The Real Alice in Wonderland!
On the subject of Llandudno, some interesting things two cousins should know: Kate and Wills (Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) live close by in Anglesey. The town’s origins go back over 4000 years, thanks to some of the oldest and finest copper mines in the world. We could visit the oldest mine on Llandudno’s mountain, the Great Orme. We can take the tramway to the St. Tudno church at the summit, from which the town takes its name. The great Victorian transformation of the town into the largest seaside resort began in 1809. By 1864, it was known as “Queen of the Welsh Resorts.” Along its North Shore runs a wide curving Victorian promenade. An award-winning pier was built in 1878 (Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova appeared here). Building the pier had the same effect as building an airport. Holiday seekers begin arriving in droves to enjoy the beautiful scenery and breathe the clean sea air. We should check out Professor Codman’s Punch and Judy show, which opened in 1860 and remains open today near the entrance to the pier. The Happy Valley, originally a quarry that became an area of landscaped gardens (a gift to the town to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Victoria in 1887), has two miniature golf courses, a putting green and a popular open air theater. There are so many interesting hotels along the promenade. Where shall we stay cousin?
*****
My Dear Cousin Cathy,
Naturally, where the most famous have stayed. Some options…
The St. Georges Hotel: Past guests include Benjamin Disraeli (1804-81), The Right Honorable William Ewart Gladstone (1809-98), The Right Honorable David Lloyd George (1863-1945), Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), and Lady Margaret Thatcher (1925 -). Other guests: French emperor Napoleon III and wife Eugenie, and Otto von Bismarck.
The Grand Hotel (featured in the film Yanks with Richard Gere): Past guests include Sir Winston Churchill, The Right Honorable David Lloyd George, Sir Oswald Mosley, The Right Honorable Clement Atlee, The Right Honorable Harold Wilson and Sir Edward Heath.
The Castle Hotel in Conwy: Past guests include the 18th-century author and lexicographer Samuel Johnson, Victorian poet Charlotte Brontë and poet William Wordsworth.
What about the St Tudno? Alice Liddell and her family stayed there before building their holiday home, Penmorfa.
*****
My Dearest Cousin Anne,
Please surprise me! On other Victorian Extravaganza matters — some one million people are expected to descend on the town over the three day period. WE have been asked to join the town’s VIPs at the Queens Hotel for refreshments prior to commencement of the opening ceremony on May 5 and grand parade, after which WE shall be returning to the Queens Hotel for a light luncheon. Might I RSVP that WE shall indeed be honored to accept?
My Dear Cousin Cathy,
WE are honored to accept! Let street entertainers, steam engines, arts, crafts, vintage cars, parades, rides, theatrical performers, barrel organs, Victorian costumes and town criers transport us back in time to the age of Queen Victoria at the 2012 Victorian Extravaganza in Llandudno, Wales.
Are you nervous about having to speak at the opening ceremony Cousin?
*****
My Dearest Cousin Anne,
To answer your question, allow me to share one of my favorite Queen Victoria quotes:
“Great events make me quiet and calm; it is only trifles that irritate my nerves.”
See more of the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza
All photos are courtesy of Allan Cuthbertson.
With special thanks to Ffion Llwyd-Jones, Margaret Lyon, Cllr. Mayor Greg Robbins, Deborah Thompson, and Kimberley Barr.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
Alice in Italy
The Mart: the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum of Trento and Rovereto
Alice In Wonderland is the first exhibition to comprehensively focus on Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice” books and their enormous influence on the world of visual arts from the first publication ofAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 to the present day.
From the 25th of February to the 3rd of June 2012, the visual extravaganza (organized by the Tate Liverpool in collaboration with the Mart di Rovereto and the Hamburger Kunsthalle) will take center stage at the Mart. Lewis Carroll was an active participant in the artistic scene of his time as both an innovative photographer and a scholar interested in art and artists. He kept company with talent like the poet and artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the sculptor Alexander Munro, and the artist Sir John Everett Millais. Paintings by Rossetti and Millais are part of the Mart’s Alice In Wonderland exhibition along with others by William Holman Hunt and Arthur Hughes about whom Carroll wrote in his famous diaries.
The timing of the exhibition is perfect of course since July, 2012 is the 150th anniversary of the first telling of the Alice in Wonderland story to Alice Liddell, Carroll’s inspiration for Alice. 2015 will mark the 150th anniversary of Macmillan’s first publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I asked Cristiana Collu, Director of the Mart, the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum of Trento and Rovereto, to share her views on the exhibition and what Alice in Wonderland means to Italians.
Annelies Strba - Nyima 445
What do Lewis Carroll’s Alice books mean to Italians young and old?
Carroll’s books are classics and form part of the Western collective imagination. I don’t know if there is a specifically Italian perception of Alice as character, but I am sure that there are numerous versions and translations, the last of which I have heard is A s´àtera ala de s´ispigru and su chi Alisedda b´at agatadu; in other words, a version in Sardinian (which is the region I come from myself). The example is a very significant one because it uses the tale of Alice to revive not only a language that has fallen into neglect but also to create neologisms, and finally to combine the richness of the culture of the place, founded on the intangible heritage of oral transmission, with codified literature. A process of recognition and appropriation is set into motion that says much if not all about the extraordinary strength of the Alice story.
Paul Laffoley - Alice Pleasance Liddell
What can visitors to the Mart’s Alice in Wonderland exhibit expect to discover when they visit? What will make the Mart’s exhibit unique in contrast to the Tate’s version?
The exhibition is a world of marvels, just as is the museum, offspring of the wunderkammer (an encyclopedic collection of objects). In this sense, the marvel is not only that which surprises, astonishes and leaves us open-mouthed, but on the contrary that which functions as a veritable detonator of our creativity, our capacity for reaction and problem-solving, our willingness to see things in a different way and the world from new points of view; when all is said and done, it calls things into question. Having doubts for Alice is not synonymous with the fragility of her being but with her capacity for growth, for ‘muchness’. Our visitors will find this ‘muchness’ in the presentation of the exhibition, in the way the exhibition has been laid out, which we have sought to interpret with a precise visual identity corresponding to the reading of the references made between museum, literary work, works on display, interludes and scores held together by a graphic design that is able to maintain the weight of the whole throughout, without ceasing to lighten it with irony and freshness.
Max Ernst - Alice in 1941
Can you tell us about some of the Italian artists and writers that have been inspired by Lewis Carroll’s works? Are any of these important artists or their works featured in the Mart’s exhibit?
Carroll’s tales have enjoyed an extraordinary following in Italy too. We could draw up infinite lists of translations, free interpretations, adapted versions for children and freely inspired transpositions (including the fine one by Gianni Rodari, Alice nelle figure), and those for adults (Aldo Busi’s version, for instance) and for the film festival in Rome, “Alice nella città” and its logo, designed by Marti Guixé. I believe that Alice really is a sort of catch-all, an emblematic metaphor of which art and its various forms, from cinema to design, painting to sculpture and video art, have made use to ‘illustrate’ even the dark and dense part that the girl and her author have represented.Alice in Wonderland, however, does not contemplate works by Italian artists; we shall instead draw some in who will offer their personal vision, taking the suggestions offered by the exhibition in tune or opposition to their style so they may offer us their own personal vision.
John Everett Millais - Waking
Do you think Italians are aware of the story behind the story, i.e. that Alice Liddell was Carroll’s inspiration for the story and also that many of the characters in the book were inspired by her family and her environment? Is this something that you believe will be of interest?
The Italian public is thus informed that the exhibition layout, which is also chronological, will offer a series of points enabling many to put together pieces of a puzzle that they already possessed, thus offering a complete and conscious vision of the history and of the world subtending all, together with what occurs behind the scenes. I have no doubt that even these aspects will be of considerable appeal and interest.
What does this exhibit mean to you? What are some of your personal favorites in the exhibits?
I prefer the exhibition as a whole. I loved the project and experienced the crucial part of the creation of its identity within the Mart. Together with all my collaborators who have shared this adventure with me, I am certain that we have created a testimonial of our change, a device that not only translates but implements our vision of the museum as a place of utopias, of possibilities, of a stereoscopic and at the same time timely view; a place in which we feel ourselves to be in ‘Wonderland’, elsewhere and yet at home.
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto, the Mart, is one of the most important museums in Italy. For more information.
Cristiana Collu and C. M. Rubin
Photos courtesy of the Alice in Wonderland Exhibition at the Mart, the Modern and Contemporary Art Museum of Trento and Rovereto.
C. M. Rubin is the author of two widely read online series for which she received a 2011 Upton Sinclair award, “The Global Search for Education” and “How Will We Read?” She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Alice - In Wales?
The Sisters (1864) by Sir William Blake Richmond can be seen at the Alice In Wonderland exhibit at Tate Liverpool (Photo courtesy of Tate Images)
What does the Queen of Welsh resorts, the town of Llandudno in Wales (3 hours on a direct train from the city of London), have to do with Alice in Wonderland?
In the summer of 1864, Alice Liddell (Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for Alice in Wonderland) and her two sisters, Lorina (who inspired the Lory) and Edith (who inspired the Eaglet), posed for up to ten hours a day while the distinguished English artist, Sir William Blake Richmond, created one of his most famous paintings, called The Sisters. The painting of the three Liddell sisters set against the background of the Great Orme, Llandudno’s famous mountain, is one of the highlights of the Tate Liverpool’s Alice in Wonderland exhibition. Sir William Blake Richmond painted the portraits of the most prominent people of the day. The Sisters, well received by the art critics of the day, was regarded by Richmond as a milestone in his career. Sir William had this to say about Alice Liddell:
“Little Alice, to whose pretty face and lovely coloring no reproduction can do justice, is seen on the right in profile, peering at the big volume on her sister’s lap.”
The group scene with the Hatter, Alice, King of Hearts, Tweedles and Caterpillar(Photo courtesy of Alice In Wonderland Ltd.)
When my daughter and I were creating our book, The Real Alice in Wonderland, about our relative Alice Liddell, we spent time researching Llandudno’s long connection to Alice Liddell and her family. Alice’s father, Henry Liddell (who inspired the White Rabbit), his wife Lorina, and the governess Miss Pricks (who inspired the Queen of Hearts) came to Llandudno for family vacations. It was here that the Liddell family built their large, gothic styled vacation home, which they called Penmorfa. Many famous celebrities of the day, including Prime Minister William Gladstone, came to visit them. As the Alice in Wonderland books became more famous, Alice Liddell also became a celebrity. Tourists wanted to enjoy beautiful Llandudno, perfectly situated on the western shores of Wales, and learn more about the story behind one of the greatest children’s stories of all time. In time, the town offered related tourist attractions, including an Alice trail, a Wonderland store and a Rabbit Hole attraction conceived by residents Muriel and Murray Ratcliffe that recreated Alice book scenes with life-size robotic characters. Eventually, Penmorfa was converted into a grand hotel. Around the turn of the 21st century, some attractions began to disappear for a number of reasons, including insufficient traffic to support the upkeep of some of the historical sights that celebrated Llandudno’s important connection to the Alice in Wonderland story.
All that is about to change just in time for two important anniversaries related to the Alice books: July 4, 2012, the 150th anniversary of the first telling of the story to Alice Liddell, and November 26, 2015, the 150th anniversary of the first publication of the book.
The Directors of Alice In Wonderland Ltd., Barry Mortlock and Simon Burrows, have purchased the Rabbit Hole content from Llandudno resident Muriel Ratcliffe, the owner of 20 years. They have launched a new Wonderland website to offer the finest Alice in Wonderland collectibles from around the world, http://www.wonderland.co.uk, and to act as portal to communicate new Alice initiatives underway in Llandudno. The team is working closely with the local County Council to bring an updated Alice trail to Llandudno. It will be a walking trail with 10-12 key places of interest that will depict the connection of Alice to the town. The new age trail will feature high tech interactive activities and will be open to the public in fiscal 2013/2014. Llandudno’s existing railway station is also undergoing a major redevelopment. It will become the start of the trail. Mortlock and Burrows’ coffee shop, currently housed within the town’s large Waterstone’s book store, is also being revamped “Alice style”, which no one will be able to miss since it will be the final watering hole at the end of the Wonderland trail. Muriel Ratcliffe will stay involved in their plans to bring the strong Alice connection back to the town of LLandudno. Ratcliffe explains, “I get phone calls and emails to this day asking if the attraction is still open.”
The Queen of Hearts (Photo courtesy of Alice In Wonderland Ltd.)
I had the opportunity to chat with Barry and Simon about their “Alice of Llandudno” project:
Why do you believe what you are doing is so important to Llandudno, Wales, and to the rest of the “Alice” loving world?
Llandudno is a beautiful Victorian seaside resort that is full of character and has charmed visitors, young and old, for many years. It is a lovely part of the world with the stunning Snowdonia National Park and World Heritage sites nearly. It also plays an important role in telling the story of the young Alice Liddell who was the inspiration behind the books. Alice’s parents honeymooned in Llandudno and stayed in one of the beautiful hotels whilst their holiday home (Penmorfa) was being built. The family spent many summers in Llandudno and they must have shared some stunning sunsets since the house had magnificent views. Alice Liddell is important to Wales. She is a Llandudno celebrity, having graced our shores with her presence. Her story needs to be told to the world and remembered. The charm of the book, Alice’s personal story, and the charm of the resort go hand in hand.
The White Rabbit (Photo courtesy of Alice In Wonderland Ltd.)
Why do you think Alice in Wonderland continues to be so inspiring to generation after generation?
We think the fact that the story of Alice in Wonderland has a fascinating story behind it makes it all the more inspiring. We are intrigued by the story behind the book and have a genuine interest in the lives of the real people involved. In our daily crazy worlds, we occasionally need some escapism from reality. Alice in Wonderland is a story that takes us into a different dimension; it stimulates, feeds and drives the imagination. There are no boundaries, no religion, and no discrimination; we are free to let our imaginations run wild; anything impossible can become possible. As a child, we know no boundaries; with a vivid imagination, all things seem possible. It is the boundaries and walls we put in place that make things impossible! Break down the boundaries, tear down the walls, feed your imagination, and you get Alice in Wonderland……………..!
Simon Burrows, C. M. Rubin and Barry Mortlock
C. M. Rubin is the author of two widely read online series for which she received a 2011 Upton Sinclair award, “The Global Search for Education” and “How Will We Read?”. She is also the author of three bestselling books, including “The Real Alice in Wonderland.”
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read: On Main Street?
“Independent book stores create interest by selecting a mix of products that the community is interested in seeing.” – Oren Teicher
Main Street is off to a promising holiday season, with online and in-store results indicating that sales in independent bookstores are well up for 2011 over 2010. Nielsen BookScan for Thanksgiving week showed an increase of 15.5% over the same week in 2010, and in-store websites powered by ABA IndieCommerce increased by 60% for Thanksgiving weekend (Black Friday through Cyber Monday) over 2010.
The challenges that independent book stores face this holiday season are the same challenges that most brick and mortar retailers will face. The good news is that independent book stores can always be relied upon for extraordinary entrepreneurship. As a result, many are already redefining their role for the future by finding new and compelling ways to differentiate themselves from online retailers. I had the pleasure of chatting with Oren Teicher, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, to talk about the key factors responsible for the resurgence of the main street bookstore, among other things.
How will we read in the future?
First of all, I absolutely believe that with all of the changes we are seeing in publishing, we will grow the number of readers. What we know about book buyers is that they behave differently at different times. They buy books in different places. They read different titles. If you’re a reader, you don’t read one kind of book nor do you buy your book from only one retailer. The anxiety that exists in certain circles about the book business that the digital format is going to make print books obsolete is nonsense. We think the formats are going to complement each other. In fact, we believe the formats will not only complement each other but will help each other grow and become stronger. An analogy that is often used is the movie business. Back in the 1950’s, people thought that television was going to put movies out of business. Why would anyone go to the movies when you could watch television in your living room? Fast forward sixty years, it’s clear there’s a pretty strong movie business in America and a pretty strong TV business. These are different formats, and they do complement each other.
What trends are you seeing in terms of categories of books moving more quickly towards the digital format?
There are obvious categories that lend themselves to the digital format. I think genre fiction (mystery, romance, and science fiction) lends itself to the electronic format because people are much more interested in immediate access to the latest titles and far less concerned about having a physical copy of the title on their shelves. In non- fiction you’ve got travel books, which is another example of a category for which there is a real advantage to having the content in an electronic format. However, I think we should be careful about drawing too many conclusions from the current trends. We don’t have enough data to really know what is going to happen. Last holiday season, millions of readers got iPads, Kindles, and Nooks. In January and February 2011, we saw a significant decline in sales in bookstores. Time passed and some people still loved their new devices, but in addition, after playing with them for a while, others decided e-readers weren’t for them, and now those devices are collecting dust in their drawers. We expect this holiday season there will be another avalanche of e-readers. And a certain number of people are going to consume books in a digital format, but I think it is too early to know how many. In the end, I think a very large number of readers will end up reading books in both formats.
How will the ABA participate in the Ebook revenue opportunity?
For almost a year we have had a partnership with Google. There are around 350 member stores that use our e-commerce platform to sell digital content, and we are selling Google eBooks across the network of participating indie bookstores. What we have learned is that it’s a lot more about the device than we originally thought. We’re aggressively in the process of trying to develop a device that our members can sell as well. There are of course many devices, and we will work with anyone who can assist our stores to sell digital content. As you know, the major publishers have adopted the Agency Model (i.e. in the agency model the publishers set the price and designate an agent—in this case the bookseller—who will then sell the book and receive a commission on that sale). With regard to the sales of digital content, under the agency model the publishers are setting the price. If you search for an e-book title on an ABA member’s website and then you search for the same title on another retailer’s website, you will find in very many cases that the price for content is the same. The agency model has leveled the playing field.
“A growing number of Americans understand that supporting their local businesses is good for the local economy.” – Oren Teicher
How did the loss of Borders affect your members?
There are millions of customers who were shopping in Borders who don’t have a store today. Clearly for our members that was an opportunity. And despite all the quantum leaps forward with technology, nothing beats a physical bricks-and-mortar store to browse and discover new titles. Independent book stores pride themselves on being interesting and exciting places to shop, where you can meet knowledgeable and passionate booksellers. It’s an environment people like to come and hang out in. Independent book stores create interest by selecting a mix of products that the community is interested in seeing. They also are very active in hosting in-store events, which attract people to the stores. In addition, they may form associations with local coffee shops, restaurants and art galleries. These are the things that bookstores do to connect to their customers. Also, a growing number of Americans understand that supporting their local businesses is good for the local economy.
What do you believe are the major challenges facing a large chain of bookstores such as a Barnes & Noble?
I think it always makes more sense to talk about one’s own strategy, but I think that does speak to your question. In today’s world, bigger is not necessarily better. The advantages that our members have are that they are able to be nimble and can adapt quickly to change. They are not saddled with massive square footage of stores that are expensive to operate. In this area I think we have a competitive advantage. Also, technology 20 years ago was a problem for independent booksellers. The large national chains could afford systems and we couldn’t. However the cost of technology has come down dramatically. We now operate websites for 350 stores. We use state of-the-art point of sale systems and tracking systems. We’re able to get books to our customers within 48 hours. The book business is changing so fast. Being smaller allows you to adapt quickly and change more easily.
Oren Teicher and C. M. Rubin
(Photos courtesy of American Booksellers Association)
How Will We Read? Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
Alice
Alice Pleasance Liddell, Summer 1858. Courtesy of © National Portrait Gallery, London
In the year 2143, will we be able to say Harry Potter lives, Harry Potter is global, or even thatHarry Potter’s enduring legacy continues to inspire all age groups?
None of us really know for sure what will happen to Harry Potter between now and then. What you should know is that there is one book, which, 146 years after it was first published in 1865, has accomplished all these things and is also one of the most loved books in today’s world. The book to which I am referring is of course Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which I like to call “Alice.”
A great many people saw Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland movie, which, despite its short theatrical window, grossed $1.02 billion worldwide. That was just an appetizer in comparison to the massive global run up to “Alice’s” 150th birthday in the fall of 2015.
Much like the closing ceremony of one Olympics and the heralding of the next one, the road to “Alice’s” sesquicentennial ceremony has already inspired a magnificent exhibition to be seen in some of the world’s greatest museums, with more exhibitions and events in the works along the way to the lighting of “Alice’s” torch in four years time.
As a passionate “Alice” fan and a relative of Alice Pleasance Liddell, the original inspiration for the book, I never tire of immersing myself in the rich culture that was born from Lewis Carroll’s fantastical dream world. In every age since the 19th century, “Alice” has inspired artists and scientists from the worlds of mathematics, fine arts, literature, puzzles, games, toys, film, dance, music, poetry, video games, photography, cartooning, and well, let’s just say you’ve got your work cut out, Harry Potter!
So now…… are you ready for a little more tea?
Come Away From Her (After Lewis Carroll) 2003 — Kiki Smith Acrylic on Paper. Courtesy of © ULAE, Inc.
I had the great pleasure of chatting with Eleanor Clayton, Assistant Curator of the Tate Liverpool’s fantastical new Alice In Wonderland exhibition currently showing in England before heading out to other parts of Europe.
“Alice” lives on — Why is “Alice” so inspiring to all ages and to generation after generation?
One of the things we notice about “Alice” is that it is one of the few books that have never been out of print since it was first published. It has literally stayed in fashion the entire way since 1865. “Alice” just continues to appeal. I think that it’s the nature of the story. You have a child heroine. Alice is beset by trials and tribulations that she has to go through and yet she always remains calm. Whether it’s the Mad Hatter or the Queen (trying to chop off her head), she meets the challenge and prevails. There is something about Alice’s journey that everyone can relate to.
The other thing that we have actually focused a lot on in the exhibition is that when the original manuscript was created, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) included pictures. The pictures were an integral part of the story. There aren’t actually a lot of descriptions of the book’s characters including Alice. Instead, on the first page of the original manuscript, there is a picture of Alice. It doesn’t tell us that Alice wears this kind of a dress or has this kind of hair. It leaves it very open for generation after generation to reinvent Alice. In our exhibition there are Alices from the 1930’s, Alices from the 1960’s, and even more contemporary Alices. Each generation has been able to reinvent Alice in the style of that generation. This says something about the richness of the book too. Each generation finds it appealing and wants to contribute something new.
How many Alices do you have in total in the exhibition?
In just one room we have over 40 illustrated editions of the book from 1907 onwards. I would say we have over a hundred Alices (character depictions) in the exhibition.
“Alice” is global — How represented is “Alice” on a global basis throughout the exhibition?
We have illustrated editions from the western world but we also have Eastern European and Russian illustrated editions. We have work by an artist called Nalini Malani, who’s done a series called Living in Alice Time. She finds in Alice a figure that relates to the political situation in India and her work is representative of that. Unfortunately, we don’t have “Alices” from Australia and New Zealand but we do have most of the Northern Hemisphere covered.
Alice’s Adventures Underground, the original manuscript, was handwritten and hand illustrated by Lewis Carroll and presented to Alice Liddell as an early Christmas gift. How significant is this manuscript?
I think it is very significant. We’ve found it incredibly interesting as an early form of book art, which became hugely popular in the 1860’s and beyond. The images are such an integral part of the original manuscript that it is a visual work of art in itself. Even Carroll’s text has visual elements. In the 19th century, art was about paintings, and books were books, but when you look at the original manuscript it is definitely an art object in itself, which is why it is really significant. Later on after the “Alice” books were published, Carroll published a facsimile of the original manuscript.
Alice in Wonderland Magic Lantern Slides 1900 - 1925. Courtesy of © University of Exeter
The manuscript’s sale by Alice Pleasance Liddell in 1928 for £15,400 ($77,000) set a new auction record for a book at that time in history, not to mention the fact that the buyer was an American, Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach.
The book has now become so iconic that the original manuscript itself is almost like a relic. We are very lucky to be exhibiting it. It has only left the British Library once (for a trip to New York City) since it was presented as a gift to the British Library by a group of American businessmen. The security we have had to go through to protect it is incredible. It has to be kept in a metal (versus wooden) vitrine with glass that is thicker than 11 millimeters. It also has to have two special Abloy locks. Then there is CCTV on it and security guards. It’s this little book the size of a hand. People come into the exhibit and are drawn to it. Then they very quickly fall down the rabbit hole into all of these artifacts that have built up because of this one little book.
What will people like most about the exhibition?
Children will see the original manuscript, Tenniel’s drawings, toys and games that were around in the 19th century after the publication of the book. There are also beautiful paintings, colorful artworks from people like Max Ernst and Dali as well as other “Alice” art from the 1960’s. There is a reading area in the exhibition. There’s also a participative artwork by Allen Ruppersberg where visitors can make their own books.
Highlights or personal favorites of the exhibition?
One of the highlights is an opportunity to learn more about Dodgson’s photography. We have his photographic equipment and a number of his own beautiful photographs. Charles Dodgson was a writer but he was also an artist who thought in pictures, and it makes you realize why the imagery in “Alice” is so vivid.
A personal favorite is a beautiful oil painting called Alice by Max Ernst from 1941. In Ernst’s painting, Alice, we see the figure of Alice being reinvented for the first time as a young woman, no longer a young girl. Ernst started the artwork when he was a prisoner of war in France and then completed it in New York after he escaped; and so it brings out this important image of Alice as a symbol of hope.
My final favorite is the enormous painting of Wonderland by Luc Tuymans. When you stand in front of if you feel as if you could just walk into Wonderland. It was made in 2007, and it just shows again that even today, artists are still finding the idea of Wonderland such an inspiration.
For more information: Tate Liverpool
On January 29, 2012, Alice in Wonderland leaves the Tate Liverpool and travels to the MART (The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) in Trento and Rovereto, Italy before moving to the Kunsthalle in Hamburg, Germany.
Eleanor Clayton and C. M. Rubin
C.M. Rubin is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
The Global Search for Education
“70% of the variation in student achievement is accounted for by factors outside of the control of schools.” — Charles Ungerleider
How to Support Your Education System
By C. M. Rubin with Harry Rubin and Michael Freeborn
Professor Charles Ungerleider tells me he wrote his book, Failing Our Kids – How we are Ruining Our Public Schools (McClelland & Stewart, 2004), after he completed a term as Deputy Minister of Education for British Columbia. For 40 years he had observed the Canadian education system from a variety of vantage points: as teacher, professor, trustee, parent, and deputy minister. During this period, he watched the largely successful Canadian educational system become so overburdened with increasing demands, he believed the system would ultimately collapse unless expectations were properly reconsidered.
Charles Ungerleider is Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of British Columbia. He is also Director of Research and Managing Director of Directions, Evidence and Policy Research Group. This week in The Global Search for Education, he discusses our big picture questions and shares his views on how to nurture and support a successful education system. (Editor’s note: Canada currently ranks in the top 10 countries in all the PISA test subjects, well ahead of the U. S.)
What kind of educational system will permit a country to have the people skills needed to compete globally?
There is an inherent tension in education between its traditional mission of social development and nation building, and the post war development of human capital and international economic competition. The extreme post war emphasis on economic development is a burden on public schools because the ability to compete economically with other nations is not entirely, or even mostly, dependent upon the education system.
I bristle a little bit when people talk about global competitiveness, because I worry we’re focused on global economic competitiveness and sacrificing social and cultural development. Every society wrestles with the question of what kind of an educational system it will create to realize its vision of itself as a nation. I worry about an education system that cultivates its human capital to produce economically and ignores the social and cultural development of its people.
What are your views on standardized testing?
I am not an opponent of standardized testing, but I am an opponent of high stakes standardized testing. I am opposed to punishing schools and teachers on the basis of standardized testing results and depriving them of the resources they need to improve learning. Anyone who thinks about assessment will recognize that a child’s performance on any given assessment is the cumulative expression of all their prior learning, not just what happened that year or in that school. Moreover, 70% of the variation in student achievement is accounted for by factors outside of the control of schools. Only about 30% of the variance in student achievement is attributable to school related factors, and only about half of those are ones that we can explain.
Recognizing the 70/30 ratio has two important implications for those who wish to improve student achievement. First, assessment is the starting point, not the end point. What you have to be able to do is identify school factors amenable to policy influence that are capable of affecting change in student achievement. Second, you will maximize the benefits of the school’s efforts if they are complemented by policies to support families and communities, such as living wages, equal pay for work of equal value, generous maternity and parenting leaves, affordable day and after school care, and the like.
“I worry about an education system that cultivates its human capital to produce economically and ignores the social and cultural development of its people” — Charles Ungerleider
What is the biggest school factor that affects change in student achievement?
The most important thing is the teachers in the classroom. You are not going to do anything of any serious consequence to improve student achievement or accomplish any serious educational purpose without ensuring that you have well-educated, well-prepared professionals in the classroom. It is not the material or the way schools are organized, but the teacher who makes most of the difference in the school’s contribution to student achievement. Excellent teaching means recruiting people who have the requisite knowledge and dispositions to the tasks, and paying them well.
What are the main steps that must be taken to improve the caliber of teachers in the public education system?
The initial professional preparation that teachers receive, and the continuing professional education that occurs over the course of their careers, influence their performance. Despite improvement over time, the preparation that teachers receive is more guided by ideology than evidence, and is not commensurate with the challenges that teachers face. Teacher certification authorities could help by strengthening the standards by which applicants for initial certification are evaluated and by applying standards that ensure currency of professional knowledge and practice.
What can be done to better address the emotional well-being of kids today given the rise in competition and the pressure to achieve?
This is the first generation in the history of mental health statistics where the mental health of the kids is not superior to that of their seniors. It is much harder to grow up today. We had a more nurturing and respectful notion of child rearing in the past.
As a society, we are not as concerned about the young as we once were. The attention of the community has moved away from being nurturing and raising the young to how am I doing. Am I going to be all right? And, how does my child’s achievement reflect on me?
We need to equip kids with the dispositions and the knowledge that they need in order to thrive in a changing world. We also need to think about the dispositions that people need to live in community with others, to contribute socially and culturally to their communities. For this, a caring and nurturing environment is important.
Aside from addressing the family and economic issues of students in poverty, what are the main steps you would take to improve the academic capabilities of these students?
Students living in impoverished circumstances often exhibit inadequate school readiness. There are a number of policies that will help to address the problems.
- Equip kindergarten classrooms with toys and materials appropriate to learning numbers, colors, and shapes.
- Provide opportunities for students to develop fine motor skills.
- Encourage oral expression. Ensure that teachers answer students’ questions, listen to their speech, respond to their requests, and help them demonstrate some achievement. Provide an environment in which children are emotionally supported and teachers use complex vocabulary and sentences in their communication with them.
- Ensure that teachers take children out of school to explore the community and to visit neighborhood institutions.
- Ensure that teachers display the products of student school work in visible places within the school and in the community.
- Administer diagnostic assessments of (1) phonemic awareness, (2) vocabulary, (3) letter naming, and (4) single word reading; provide interventions to address identified deficits, and ensure that teachers concentrate on deficiencies in these areas, monitoring student progress until students consistently meet or exceed grade level expectations.
World Wisdom
- We should be concerned about an educational system that cultivates its human capital to produce economically and ignores the social and cultural development of its people.
- 70% of the variation in student achievement is attributable to factors outside of the control of schools. Successful education depends upon complementary social policies.
- The most important factor that affects student achievement is the teachers in the classroom.
- Professional preparation and ongoing education of teachers are essential factors in teacher performance.
Professor Charles Ungerleider and C. M. Rubin
(Photos are provided courtesy of the Dwight International School in Canada and Charles Ungerleider)
In The Global Search for Education, join C. M. Rubin and globally renowned thought leaders including Sir Michael Barber (UK), Dr. Leon Botstein (US), Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (US), Dr. Madhav Chavan (India), Professor Michael Fullan (Canada), Professor Howard Gardner (US), Professor Yvonne Hellman (The Netherlands), Professor Kristin Helstad (Norway), Professor Rose Hipkins (New Zealand), Professor Cornelia Hoogland (Canada), Mme. Chantal Kaufmann (Belgium), Professor Dominique Lafontaine (Belgium), Professor Hugh Lauder (UK), Professor Ben Levin (Canada), Professor Barry McGaw (Australia), Professor R. Natarajan (India), Sridhar Rajagopalan (India), Sir Ken Robinson (UK), Professor Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), Andreas Schleicher (PISA, OECD), Dr. David Shaffer (US), Dr. Kirsten Sivesind (Norway), Chancellor Stephen Spahn (US), Yves Theze (Lycee Francais US), Professor Charles Ungerleider (Canada), Professor Tony Wagner (US), Professor Dylan Wiliam (UK), Professor Theo Wubbels (The Netherlands), Professor Michael Young (UK), and Professor Minxuan Zhang (China) as they explore the big picture education questions that all nations face today.
The Global Search for Education Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
The Global Search for Education
“We need to focus on the kind of human beings we want to have and the kind of society in which we want to live” — Howard Gardner (photo courtesy of Harvard University)
What Do We Value Most?
By C. M. Rubin with Harry Rubin and Michael Freeborn
What do the 81.5 million students in this country believe their families value most?
Money?
Success?
Happiness?
Knowledge?
Power?
Celebrity?
Truth?
A Healthy Planet?
Good Work?
Engaged Citizens?
A Cultured Society?
What should the 81.5 million students in this country believe their families value most?
Howard Gardner is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Among numerous honors, Gardner received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship in 1981. He has received honorary degrees from 26 colleges and universities. In 2005 and again in 2008, he was selected by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines as one of the 100 most influential public intellectuals in the world. The author of 25 books translated into 28 languages, and several hundred articles, Gardner is best known in educational circles for his theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner directs the GoodWork Project— a study of work that is excellent, engaging, and ethical. With colleagues at Project Zero, he is also investigating the nature of trust in contemporary society and ethical dimensions entailed in the use of the new digital media.
Dr. Gardner, what is your view on standardized testing?
Our analysis of the educational problems in the United States is very distorted. What does it say about the kind of a society we aspire to be, when we are analyzing our educational success almost entirely on standardized test scores in a few subject areas? Even the focus on global competitiveness, particularly with respect to test scores, is misguided. Instead, we need to focus on the kind of human beings we want to have and the kind of society in which we want to live. That is why, for two centuries, we have been much admired (and even imitated) around the world. Once we get that straight, I am not worried about our test scores or our rankings in one or another international ranking system.
What elements are missing from our current system’s definition of educational excellence?
My belief in why America has been doing so well up to now is that we have been propelled by our immigrants and our encouragement of technical innovation and, indeed, creativity across the board. Historically, that’s been more important than the schools we have and the test scores we post. I believe this is what has enabled America to take a leadership role in the last century. And yet we talk about the problems in America being about the kids in school, particularly the kids in the inner city, who aren’t performing well. Of course we would like to improve education for all children.
But, look at what has happened since 2001. Enron, Lehman Brothers, AIG – all synonyms for great malpractice on the part of the so-called “best and the brightest.” The unvarnished market model – everything can and should be counted, ranked, bought and sold – has brainwashed the culture. We’ve lost our sense of values. Success is being evaluated in one dimension only, and that is getting wealthy at all costs. There have been many casualties and probably will be more. We need to go beyond fear and greed – we need to re-establish a sense of trust, and to identify persons, practices, and policies that are truly admirable.
For the past 15 years, my colleagues and I have been working on the study of Good Work (GoodWork: Theory and Practice project—see goodworkproject.org and goodworktoolkit.org ) as a model for forward thinking that should be nurtured in the educational system. Good Work is about how we can help young people live a life of good work and good citizenship. We and the youth whom we hope to inspire should strive to live by 3 E’s, which are firstly, technical Excellence (the worker knows his work and keeps up with the latest knowledge and techniques); secondly, being Engaged in the world around us (it feels good, it feels right, and it is personally engaging); and finally, good work is good in a moral sense, and that means it is carried out Ethically in a way that is responsible.
Let’s apply this simple lens to our current educational system. I would say that in the inner city, the issue has been Excellence, and we’re spending plenty of money trying to get that right. In the heartland, the problem has been about Engagement. Kids go to school and college and get through, but they don’t seem to really care about using their minds. School doesn’t have the kind of long term positive impact that it should. The upper middle class children who populate the suburbs have weak ethical muscles. On one calculus, they may be the best and the brightest, but they have been dominated by Money, Markets, and Me. To my mind, that’s been the wrong dominating figure in America over the past years. Of course, that is not the problem of the young people – it is the problem of the models that we older people have established and the kinds of signals that we give from birth onward… and I am afraid that it is many of the readers and writers of this blog. We need to ‘heal ourselves’.
The countries who do the best in international comparisons, whether it’s Finland or Japan, Denmark or Singapore, do well because they have professional teachers who are respected, and they also have family and community which support learning. I worry about the messages we send when we have such a focus on tests, data, and rankings.
“Success is being evaluated in one dimension only, and that is getting wealthy at all costs.” — Howard Gardner (photo courtesy of Harvard University)
How do we improve the capabilities and stature of teachers in the US so that they compare favorably with the capabilities and stature of teachers in Finland and Japan?
I sometimes say that if we tripled the salaries of teachers, the problems would evaporate. That’s not literally true, but the low status of teachers and the lack of a career path are problems, perhaps fatal ones. [Editor’s note: 2011 OECD report shows US teachers’pay level is 22nd out of 27 countries researched.]
How do we send the right messages to kids about citizenship and community?
Powerful leadership needs to send new and different messages about the definition of success. I don’t see how this can be done without the media – traditional and informal – and without gutsy leaders. When I think about the Republicans who are competing for the presidency, and the lackluster response from the current administration, I weep.
What are your thoughts on how might use the internet to achieve the objective of helping kids become better citizens – e.g. changes in online behavior?
The biggest communities in which young people now reside are online communities. These are like the ‘wild west’ – there are no solid norms, and so everyone is going her own way or improvising. At our GoodPlay project (see goodworkproject.org) we are trying to work out suitable ethics and citizenship for these young people, our future leaders. At that site you can read about our collaborations with the New Media Literacies project and Common Sense Media.
How might colleges assess children on multiple levels (other than standardized tests)?
The better colleges have more resources and are able to and need to allocate more of these resources to assessing incoming students so that test scores alone (vs. multiple measures) don’t play a dominant role in the admissions criteria. Nonetheless, colleges (including the ones with which I am associated) brag about the combined SAT scores. Even more hypocritically, those that have made the tests optional still attempt to recruit from the ranks of the higher scorers. Lloyd Thacker and his educational conservancy are trying to address this dilemma.
Should we be assessing values, discipline, respectfulness and good citizenship more?
Such assessments can and need to be done, but not by paper and pencil or computer-delivered tests! The traditional British system of knowledgeable inspectors is the best way that I know. Judgment by informed, disinterested (in the literal sense of that word), and wise individuals is the way that we can and should make our most important decisions as a society, and indeed, as a planet.
World Wisdom
In educational reform, focus on the kind of human beings we want to have and the kind of society in which we want to live.
We should not evaluate our educational success based on standardized test scores in a few subject areas.
The better colleges are able to and need to allocate more of their resources to assessing incoming students so that test scores alone do not play a dominant role in the admissions criteria.
The countries that do best in international comparisons have professional teachers who are respected, and they also have family and community which support learning.
Professor Howard Gardner and C. M. Rubin
In The Global Search for Education, join C. M. Rubin and globally renowned thought leaders including Sir Michael Barber (UK), Dr. Leon Botstein (US), Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (US), Dr. Madhav Chavan (India), Professor Michael Fullan (Canada), Professor Howard Gardner (US), Professor Yvonne Hellman (The Netherlands), Professor Kristin Helstad (Norway), Professor Rose Hipkins (New Zealand), Professor Cornelia Hoogland (Canada), Mme. Chantal Kaufmann (Belgium), Professor Dominique Lafontaine (Belgium), Professor Hugh Lauder (UK), Professor Ben Levin (Canada), Professor Barry McGaw (Australia), Professor R. Natarajan (India), Sridhar Rajagopalan (India), Sir Ken Robinson (UK), Professor Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), Andreas Schleicher (PISA, OECD), Dr. David Shaffer (US), Dr. Kirsten Sivesind (Norway), Chancellor Stephen Spahn (US), Yves Theze (Lycee Francais US), Professor Charles Ungerleider (Canada), Professor Tony Wagner (US), Professor Dylan Wiliam (UK), Professor Theo Wubbels (The Netherlands), Professor Michael Young (UK), and Professor Minxuan Zhang (China) as they explore the big picture education questions that all nations face today.
The Global Search for Education Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
The Global Search for Education
More Arts Please Sir (Photo Courtesy of Beechwood Sacred Heart School UK)
More Arts Please
By C. M. Rubin with Harry Rubin and Michael Freeborn
“To lose our culture is to lose our memory.”
More Leonardo da Vincis, more Martha Grahams, more Ludwig Van Beethovens, more Luciano Pavarottis, more Marlon Brandos, more Antoni Gaudis, more Coco Chanels, more Bob Dylans, more Zhang Xiaogangs, more William Shakespeares, more Julia Margaret Camerons, more Gustav Vigelands, more Andrew Lloyd Webbers, more Francis Ford Coppolas, more Meryl Streeps, more Alice In Wonderlands, more Anna Pavlovas, more Michael Jacksons, more Vincent van Goghs, more Harry Potters, more Phil Knights, more Rabindranath Tagores, more Pablo Picassos, more John Steinbecks… Please Sir – can we have some more?
Sir Ken Robinson, PhD, is one of the internationally recognized leaders in the development of education creativity and innovation. He has received numerous honorary degrees from universities, and many awards from cultural organizations and governments, all over the world. He was knighted in 2003 by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the Arts. He has advised governments in Europe, Asia and North America on the Arts. In 2005 he was named one of Time/Fortune/CNN’s Principal Voices. His book, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, is a New York Times best seller and has been translated into 21 languages. His latest book is the 10th anniversary edition of his classic work on creativity and innovation, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative.
Sir Ken, what do you believe an arts curriculum should look like in primary and secondary school education?
I believe that the arts should be on an equal footing in schools with the sciences, humanities, languages and physical education. In most school systems there is a hierarchy. Arts programs are being cut ruthlessly since “No Child Left Behind” came out ten years ago. In the UK, they still talk about core foundation subjects, i.e. English, Math, and Science. In most countries the arts are a second tier activity. My first point is that the arts must be given equal footing. That’s what we argued in The Arts in Schools, the book I published in 1982.
There’s a need for a balance in arts education in several respects. One of them is that a proper arts curriculum would provide for music, dance, visual arts, literature and drama. When we did The Arts in Schoolsproject, I made a point of not trying to define the arts in any form. The reason for this was that the arts are a vibrant set of disciplines, and when you go into different cultures they don’t think of there being 4 or 5 different art forms. For example, for an audience watching a dance performance, that is a visual art form; if you look at musical theater, that is a combination of different disciplines: acting, dancing, music. So even defining 5 or 6 different art forms can become problematic.
More Arts Please Sir (Photo Courtesy of Beechwood Sacred Heart School UK)
Secondly, I think there should be a balance within the teaching of the arts. I ran a large project in the UK in the 80’s called the “The Arts 5-16” in which we offered a clear framework for arts education. There should be a balance between actually doing the arts and secondly, engaging students in understanding other people’s work. In other words, making and appraising. In some schools you will find that there is a greater emphasis on the latter, i.e. appraising. Students read books or listen to music, but they’re not encouraged to create it themselves. In other schools, you will find the opposite, i.e. students doing their own work and never looking at anybody else’s. A balanced arts education has to include both.
Under each of these areas of creating and appraising, we have to teach that creating arts is a discipline based process. It is not just free form. You must learn the skills and techniques of any area but they have to be taught in a way that enables you to think differently and imaginatively. There are forms of teaching that are highly uncreative and where the emphasis on discipline can kill the passion to make art. So there has to be a direct relationship between learning the skills involved and having the freedom to use them and to think creatively through them. The balance is about technical and creative development.
In terms of appraising other people’s work, arts education should include a balance between contextual knowledge and critical judgment. A full appreciation of a work includes understanding something of the history and context in which it was produced. For example, some people look at modern art and think it’s nonsense and that’s often because they don’t understand the context in which it was produced or what the artists’ intentions were. It’s like looking at a page of Romanian if you don’t speak it. So an important part of arts education is helping people understand context, background, and cultural references. The second process is developing skills of critical judgment. In the end you can understand a piece of art in the context and the background to it and still not like it. Enabling students to formulate, express and defend their own aesthetic and critical judgment of the arts is an essential element of a properly balanced arts education in any discipline.
Can student performance in the arts be assessed?
It is absolutely possible to assess people’s work in the arts. I’ve worked with arts academies and with conservatoires in music and visual arts; with specialist arts teachers in school who are assessing students all of the time. Assessment requires that you understand what you are looking at and for and that you are clear about the criteria that you are applying. For example, when a six or seven year old produces a drawing, an art teacher needs to have a frame of reference for what’s normal for a child that age. Part of that is the creative content of the work. But what you would also be looking for are the graphic capabilities and the level of execution. The same is true if you are looking at children who work in dance or theater. There are multiple levels at which you make judgments. Part of the problem in schools is that the arts are not taught regularly or systematically, and too often they are not taught by people who have had a proper grounding in the disciplines.
Another problem is that in this country there is a culture of standardized testing based on right or wrong types of answers. However, if you are looking at someone’s paintings, reading their poetry, or listening to music, then you are focusing on a whole array of factors. We have a tendency to make the measurable important versus the important measurable. The arts are about textures of meaning and understanding, and qualities of perception and expression. This does not mean that they cannot be assessed, but it is difficult to reduce them to simple paper and pencil tests.
Our education systems are obsessed with a particular type of academic ability, and that is a rather narrow view of knowledge and what it means to be intelligent. For all kinds of cultural and historical reasons, the arts have not been seen as being a part of that view. In my book, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative, I tried to explain why the arts are marginalized. It’s partly for economic reasons. People believe that if you do the arts you simply won’t get a job. The other part is the restrictive culture of intelligence in schools that I just mentioned.
We’ve covered teaching the arts as separate and interdisciplinary forms. Can art also be integrated into other academic subject areas to enhance learning?
I don’t think “subjects” is a very good term. “Subjects” implies an area that is defined by its content. Mathematics isn’t a subject to be studied as much as a set of disciplines to be practiced. In other words, you do mathematics, you do not just study it. The same is true of sciences such as chemistry and physics. Music is exactly the same. It is a set of disciplines. There are physical skills, hand eye coordination, aesthetic sensibilities, ideas you need to absorb. So I think “disciplines” is a better term than “subjects” because it captures the concept of practice as well as of ideas.
The other thing I like about “disciplines” is that it opens up the idea of inter-disciplinary. There is a lot in common between the arts and the sciences. In my conception of a great school, there would be all these disciplines represented and there would be a lot of traffic between them. I’ve been working on this idea with schools for over 40 years. Science being taught through music. Music being taught through history. If you want to understand the time and sensibilities of other periods or other cultures, you need to listen to their music.
The more dynamic and collaborative we are in our approaches to teaching, the more likely we are to deepen our understanding of ourselves and of other times as well. Part of our problem is that we have constructed education systems that are like production lines. There is a big separation in our schooling systems between the arts and the sciences. They are taught by different people in different rooms at different times of the day. One example I give of the consequences is from the Natural History Museum. If you visit the insect rooms, you’ll find wonderful displays of butterflies, all arranged in glass cases on the walls. They’re dead, but beautifully arranged by classification, i.e. size, color, etc. In the room next to them you’ll find the beetles. In another room you’ll find the spiders. But, if you go out into the world, that is not how you see them. You do not see the butterflies keeping to themselves over in one corner or the spiders lined up in columns keeping their distance. In nature, they are interacting with each other.
It’s the same in human cultures. They evolve by ideas from different disciplines affecting each other. They flow into each other and inspire people to think differently in their own fields. Schools can stifle this creative interaction by classifying subjects too tightly and keeping them too firmly in separate boxes.
Sir Ken Robinson with C. M. Rubin
In The Global Search for Education, join C. M. Rubin and globally renowned thought leaders including Sir Michael Barber (UK), Dr. Leon Botstein (US), Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (US), Dr. Madhav Chavan (India), Professor Michael Fullan (Canada), Professor Howard Gardner (US), Professor Yvonne Hellman (The Netherlands), Professor Kristin Helstad (Norway), Professor Rose Hipkins (New Zealand), Professor Cornelia Hoogland (Canada), Mme. Chantal Kaufmann (Belgium), Professor Dominique Lafontaine (Belgium), Professor Hugh Lauder (UK), Professor Ben Levin (Canada), Professor Barry McGaw (Australia), Professor R. Natarajan (India), Sridhar Rajagopalan (India), Sir Ken Robinson (UK), Professor Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), Andreas Schleicher (PISA, OECD), Dr. David Shaffer (US), Dr. Kirsten Sivesind (Norway), Chancellor Stephen Spahn (US), Yves Theze (Lycee Francais US), Professor Charles Ungerleider (Canada), Professor Tony Wagner (US), Professor Dylan Wiliam (UK), Professor Theo Wubbels (The Netherlands), Professor Michael Young (UK), and Professor Minxuan Zhang (China) as they explore the big picture education questions that all nations face today.
The Global Search for Education Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice In Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
Page 1 of 5
