Assistant Professor Apichart Pholprasert (Ph. D.)
Biography
Currently Head of the Department of Art, Music, and Dance Education, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, Dr. Apichart Pholprasert has been teaching art theories, practice, and research at the Division of Art Education since 2007. Having obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education at Chulalongkorn University, a Master’s Degree in Visual Arts at the University of South Australia, and a Practice-led Ph.D. in Fine Arts at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK., Dr. Apichart Pholprasert continues to be a practicing artist, specialised in painting, digital media, and community art. He actively exhibits his art works in Thailand and abroad. In addition to his teaching at the university, he regularly facilitates workshops and lectures for art teacher development and for children with artistic talent programs throughout Thailand.
His major contribution to gifted and talented education in Thailand was when he designed and directed a pioneering art camp for talented students in visual arts at Princess Sirindhorn Art Center in 2008, funded by the Institute for Gifted and Innovative Learning (IGIL), Office of the Prime minister. This art camp project later became a model for The Office of the Basic Education Commission, the Ministry of Education Thailand to inaugurate the Center for Developing Students with Special Talents in Visual Art at Princess Siridhorn Art Center in 2014, and Dr. Apichart Pholprasert was appointed as an Executive Committee and a Project Director. He is also Head of Competencies Enhancement Program for Students with Achievements in National and International Level in the Division of Art Education, Chulalongkorn University. This program allows him to continuedly develop students’ creative talent from elementary, secondary, tertiary, and finally to professional level.
Keynote Title
Advancing Creativity in Visual Arts Talents
Keynote Description
This keynote presentation will assert values of art to children’s development and how to advance creativity within art practice of students with artistic talent. The first section will begin with indications why art should be promoted in every child and advanced in those who have special talent. It will highlight contributions of art to children’s development in diverse skills needed for their quality growth. While emphasizing on the chief benefits of art in promoting creativity and imagination, this presentation also demonstrates how art can promote human well-being in diverse dimensions throughout lifespans. Gifted and talented students require special attention and supports in order to excel their abilities. Formal school curriculum and structure often have limitation in providing fulfilling enrichment for the needs of talented and gifted students. Thus, the second part of this presentation will investigate into major talented art educational programs in Thailand, especially those organized by the Office of the Basic Education Commission, the Ministry of Education, and significant projects supported by private sectors that have successfully implemented diverse strategies to advance gifted students’ creativity and imagination. The discussion will cover numerous underpinning factors that foster students’ creativity development in art creation. It will examine talented identification process, curriculum design, instructor team, environment setting, and interdisciplinary exercises such as art and science and technology, visual literacy, music, culture and literature that form a unique set of activities for advancing creativity in visual arts talented students.