In cooperation with the Siemens Foundation, the German Commission for UNESCO and the University Chair Professor Liebau of the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, are holding a European Symposium for Experts in preparation for the UNESCO World Conference for Arts Education in Seoul 2010.

Following the compilation of an interim assessment made in May 2008 in Wildbad Kreuth, this Symposium shall endeavour to take the evaluation of the UNESCO Road Map for arts education in Europe one step further: Did the UNESCO Road Map on arts education have any discernible influence? In what fields has it succeeded in making an impact? What role has it come to play in expert discourses and policies or policy development? Is the Road Map currently being implemented or are plans for this afoot in the respective countries?

Based on this assessment the organisers plan to take stock of the essence of the Road Map’s impact for Europe and formulate this in “Eleven Theses” for discussion. The results of the shared assessment and these theses should be presented at the UNESCO World Conference in Seoul 2010. In preparation of this Second World Conference of experts we deemed it vital to prepare this Symposium and focus on the specific possible contributions of European states and the expert communities. In addition, within the framework of the Symposium, the important role of foundations and private sponsors in promoting arts education in the spirit of the UNESCO Road Map and elaborate forward-looking perspectives for this field will be discussed.