This study concentrates on building up communal wellbeing in schools of basic education. Under the project class teacher students organize participatory hands-on activities in partner schools. These crafting workshops are designed according to certain pedagogical guidelines with the focus on communal involvement and playful learning.

The project examines the school from the viewpoint of democratic way of life. The level and mode of democracy fuse in everyday life and embeds in common events of the schooldays. The workshops aim to make the life of the participants visible and to create coherence and inclusion. The workshops take place in four schools, each having its own development needs. This study is a part of a wider multidisciplinary action research in the class-teacher education in the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.

Art education in schools approaches art practices form three viewpoints (Davis 2005). The outsider dimension brings the child into the world of art and offers enjoyment. The second dimension offers the child an environment for emotions and sensations thorough art. The dimension of thinking offers time and place to connect the observations and reflection together in the internal world of the individual. In addition, Catterall (2011) tells us, how long-term art education affects children's perceptions of their originality, and invites everyone to participate in artistic processes. Community art is made with the members of the community who might not otherwise normally actively engage in the arts. Affirmative art education contemplates on the positive significance of art for the individual, the community and society by the development of creativity (Shiner 2001). According Bredin & Santoro-Brienza (2000) art has traditionally been a part of the organized communities making the life meaningful and to tie the community members together.

Coming from outside into the school community the students need to get acquainted with the individuals and familiar with the established cultures of schools and to achieve a position and trust in the community. The students familiarise themselves to the schools community by making observations and small-scale interviews and by participating into the school life before they organise the communal events.

The concept of ‘community art’ is examined both theoretically and practically beforehand. The theoretical thinking is deepened by a selection of readings and lectures. The students practice some crafting exercises that aim to disentangle from traditional practises of craft education and reveal the sight of self-expression and having fun. In the project-planning phase, the students’ ideas are flexed together and student groups make some concrete crafting experiments. Good atmosphere, emotional engagement and processing concrete materials are the guidelines for the activities. Also music, adventure education, role play and scenography may be used to inspire pupils and to increase the experiential sensations. The pedagogical encountering with the participants is described as dialogical, open and respective.

The aim of  the case study is to find out 1) how do the student teachers expose and articulate the development targets of the schools; 2) on which ideas do they base their workshop planning and setting; 3) how do they prepare the school projects and 4) how do they evaluate the occurrences afterwards. The results of this study will direct developing the course.

Braun, V. & Clarke, V. 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2). pp. 77-101. Bredin, H .& Santoro-Brienza, L..2000. Philosophies of Art and Beauty: Introducing Aesthetics, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Catterall, James. 2011. “Art Rich - Non-Art-Rich Education”. Keynote lecture in Creative North for Children (Luova Pohjola) seminar, Nordic Institute in Finland, Helsinki, Finland. September 29th. Davis, J. H. 2005. Framing education as art: The octopus has a good day. New York: Teachers College Press. Shiner, Larry E. 2001. The Invention of Art: Cultural History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Stringer, E. T. 2007. Action research (3. p.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.