How can art engage children and young people?

In this paper, we will present how art as a pedagogical tool can encourage children and young people to discover diverse world views, to reflect on the subject matter and to think about their role in the world, while at the same time making it easier for them to cope with personal hardships, as well as arousing a desire for an engaged social response. In doing so, we will define art as a first-person experience that supports the principles of poetic learning and teaching. Through case descriptions of project activities, accompanied by records of ongoing reflection and evaluation, we will show how the SKUM3 project during COVID-19 contextualised learning content, strengthened self-perception in difficult pandemic living conditions, promoted students' social engagement and deepened learning content through the use of artistic languages. A qualitative analysis of the collected examples of project activities carried out in the SKUM educational institutions showed that children and adolescents, through the stories they told or depicted, expressed greater sensitivity in observing attitudes, social and natural phenomena, had a more holistic understanding of the learning content, and were better able to express their observations of the world and attitudes themselves. The results of the qualitative analysis showed that children and adolescents, through the stories they told or depicted, were more sensitive in observing attitudes, social and natural phenomena, and had a more holistic understanding of the content of the learning. At the same time, ongoing analysis of the evaluations and reflections of the educators/teachers and artists who participated in our projects showed that working with art allows for a deeper insight into the processes of learning and action, a more subtle perception of children's/young people's needs and interests, and more opportunities for self-questioning and questioning with others