Creativity - Engaging through the Arts

After watching Ken Robinson on TED talks, I was thinking about how applicable this topic of engaging students in the arts was to us as Socials teachers, and in terms of the up coming election. I read this fabulous piece by Margarent Atwood in the Global and Mail, entitled "To be creative is, in fact, Canadian," regarding Harper's plans to cut arts and culture funding. Yet she makes the point that we, as a culture, and as Canadians spend more time and money in the arts then anything else. The arts seems to be one thing that can link us all together, and yet as Ken Robinson mentioned, it tends to be at the bottom of our education system. I think we, as Social Studies teachers, have a unique opportunity to really bring the arts back into the forfront of our programs. Below is the link to Margaret Atwood's article. I will warn everyone that she is pretty scathing towards Mr. Harper and his party, but what is Social Studies without a little controversy! Enjoy!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080924.wcoarts25/BNStory/politics/home