The Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators (CODE) encourages and supports the development of drama and dance in education in Ontario. CODE often engages with partner organizations, as well as provincial, national, and international agencies to represent its members and advocate for issues of importance to those in the field of arts education.
CODE encourages its members and the public-at-large to assist us in advocating for the arts in your schools and communities. Please see the following links to support you in becoming an advocate for dance and drama education.
- Advocacy Resources
- Advocacy Letters and Statements
- Recommended Research and Writing
- Recommended Videos
Drama New Zealand Advocacy Materials
Shared with special permission and heartfelt thanks to our international drama colleagues in New Zealand!
We Need to Talk About Drama:
A Chorus of Voices: Shaping a Future for Drama in Education - Christine Jackson, former CODE President
CODE Conference October 2015
In reverse chronological order beginning with most recent:
2021
September 30 - CODE Response to Hybrid Learning
September 3 - Drama and Dance: Creative Community in the Time of COVID Version 2.0
July 20 - Email letter to Council of Directors of Education (also CODE) re: Ministry's Big Ideas in the Elementary Curriculum Project
January 14 - CODE'S submission to MOET's Consultation on Funding for Public Education: CODE's Submission: MOET Consultation on Funding Education
January 4 - Letter from all ARTS subject association to MOET: CODE, OAEA, OMEA: Ontario's Future Depends on STEAM
2020
August 4 - Updated Return to school document, adding 18 COVID adapted resources and shared widely: Drama and Dance: Creative Community in the Time of COVID
June 25 - Document sent to School Boards in Preparation for Return to Schools: Drama and Dance in the Time of COVID
June 15 - Joint Letter (CODE, FNMIEAO, OAEA, OASPHE, OMEA, Ophea) to Directors and Trustee Chairs Return to Schools (English, Francais)
May 27 - Letter from CODE to MOET: Consultation for School Reopening - COVID 19
March 23 - Letter from OAEA, OMEA and CODE to MOET: Joint Support for Arts Resources during COVID 19
2019
May - Response to Ministry of Education's Open Call for Class Size Consultation
August - Letter to the Toronto District School Board from OAEA, OMEA and CODE: Equity Among ALL of the ARTS in the TDSB
2018
November - Response to Ministry of Education's Open Call for Consultation on Education
August 30 - Letter to Chair of Deans of Faculties of Education: Offer to Collaborate with Pre-Service and AQ Dance and Drama Courses
March 4 - Feedback to People For Education: Arts Education Draft Feedback
Note: We are working to archive all previous advocacy letters and documents. This is a work-in-progress.
- Arts Education Advocacy Toolkit - The Kennedy Centre Alliance for Arts Education Network
- Arts Education for the Development of the Whole Child - Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
- Ontario Arts Curriculum (2009) Front Matter
- Research Report on Teaching in Ontario by Kathleen Gould Lundy: All I's on Education: Imagination, Integration, Innovation Research, K.Lundy, 2016
- Ten Lessons the Arts Teaches by Elliot Eisner
- UNESCO Questionnaire on the Implementation of the Road Map for Arts Education: Report for Canada (March 2010)
- Unleashing Potential, Harnessing Possibility: An Odyssey of Creativity, Innovation and Critical Thinking: An Action Research Study by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board: www.leadthewaytocreativity.com
Follow CODE on YouTube
Learning Through the Arts
Video Series showing teachers working with students using drama and dance.
Dance
Drama
Why Drama and Dance?
Why I Dance Video - The Dance Current Magazine
More from Sir Ken Robinson:
Why Dance is just as Important as Math in School
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy in Drama and Dance
Please send all recommendations and suggestions to the Chair of the Advocacy Committee at pastpresident[at]code.on.ca.
Our current Past President is: Jane Deluzio.