21. Task 3 Producing non-literary text (30 marks)

Timing recommendation: 35 minutes

Global context - Personal and cultural expression
This task is assessed according to criteria B (Organizing), C (Producing text) and D (Using language).
This task is worth 30 marks (B - 10 marks, C - 10 marks, D - 10 marks).

You are applying to present a talk about the importance of art (all forms of art) at a youth conference. Create a proposal of the ideas you wish to present under the title, “The role of art in developing empathy for people and groups who live lives that are different to your own”.

(Approximately 350 words)

“The role of art in developing empathy for people and groups who live lives that are different to your own”.

I am reaching out to apply for presenting a talk about the importance of art and how it creates empathy for people and groups whose lives are different to our own. I would be delighted to have this talk at the youth centre and these are the ideas that I would be incorporating in it.

Firstly, We will discuss the role of art and what it includes to help everyone understand my title. I will discuss examples of different types of art which include movies, books, visual art pieces, music and more. Then I will propose the idea of how art is intertwined in creating empathy for people in different ways.

First example: I will discuss the movie "Taare Zameen per", a Hindi movie made about a child who struggles with a learning disability that his parents are not good at dealing and understanding with so send the child to a boarding school to better his attitude and skills of learning. There he meets a teacher who gives this child the support to learn in his own way that does not restrict him to only books but yet encourages more physical and visual learning like art. His relationship with his teacher also helps him develop his writing and other skills. This story will be my first example as I can speak about the impact this movie had on me from a young age where I did not know that people had problems with learning. This art piece which is a movie is a great example of how art creates empathy towards the struggles of people who some might not be aware of and helps create empathy and knowledge to go in life and be patient with others. This movie is a good example of people of all ages being more aware and empathizing with groups of people whose lives are different to mine and some others.

Second Example: I will talk about another example of an art piece that creates empathy which is the quite recent and highly popular series Squid Game. This is a series with a high level of violence that shows the lives of people in South Korea and the struggles of being poor and desperate. This show though very explicit creates a high level of empathy for people who do not live in situations and places where they can not escape and get desperate for solutions that will help them in any way. The underlining meaning of this show critiques capitalism and its effects of people who are unfortunately not able to meet its standards. This art form, though complex creates a very de level of empathy for people who have no idea of the lives that people are destined to live due to their circumstances and living conditions.

Though arguments for some art pieces do not create empathy as it's not their purpose is true some argue that art has a dangerous role in which it affects people to empathize with the wrong things or that they will not understand the reasons they should empathize with certain things. I believe this is not a good argument as this fact in real life is quite the same as people trying to make you empathize with them through manipulation tactics and other dangerous ways. ARt forms portraying these instances can help people learn about the people that they should empathize with and the ones they shouldn't. Another reason I do not think this is a good argument is that some will not understand the underlying meanings of why people are sympathizing with some art pieces for example Squid Game which is difficult to understand for some who may be too young, there are obvious age restrictions mentioned as well as the people outlaying art or media and explaining its underlying meanings. People will be faced with the same situations in life and having art that depicts that for us helps us to differentiate the people that are ok to empathize with from the ones that are not.