Building partnerships for cultural sustainability in rural schools: Action plan for arts immersion in China

In recent years, arts education for cultural diversity and sustainability has been promoted in mainland China. This chapter reflects on the most recent policy, the Action Plan for Arts Immersion (APAI), a reform initiative in arts education that was enacted nationally in 2019. China is a multi-ethnic country where about half of the population are rural residents and many are ethnic minorities. The diverse indigenous cultural heritage in rural and ethnic minority areas is under threat because of the pervasive influence of modern culture. In view of this looming cultural crisis, the Ministry of Education enacted the APAI, highlighting the core principles of community-based action and partnership-building. The purpose of the APAI is to enable collaborative arts education projects that foster constructive partnerships between urban research universities and rural primary and secondary schools. Fostering such partnerships is vital to securing urban universities’ endorsement for rural and ethnic minority arts education, bridging the gap between rural and urban areas, developing cultural heritage through arts education, and facilitating intercultural and transcultural dialogue among ethnic groups. The multi-pronged strategy of partnership under the APAI is the cornerstone of the programs and is vital for the reform to be successful. This chapter discusses how the APAI was envisioned and is put into practice, focusing on the case of the Dandelion Action Project in Guangdong province. It also reflects on challenges posed by the power dynamics and cultural differences between the urban and rural populations, and between the Han majority and Yao minority. Copyright © 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.