Can we bring the natural environment into the art classroom? Can natural sound foster creativity?

This paper explores the relationship between the natural world and its potential benefits to the art classroom environment. In particular, it considers the following research question: Can natural sound foster creativity? The study investigates the role of natural sound on creative ability in girls’ intermediate schools (12 to 15 years)in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It reviews the benefit of incorporating the natural environment in the art classroom to stimulate student’s creative performance on art tasks. Research from the area of environmental psychology suggests that humans will benefit both physically and psychologically from spending time in nature and the outside environment. This paper encourages the attention of art educators to consider bringing the outdoor natural environment and in particular, natural sounds inside the art classroom. The contribution to new knowledge in this study will be in the development of advice for all participants working within and related to the field of education and in particular art education, to promote the use of natural sound in the classroom as a learning aid and a means of fostering creativity.   Key words: Saudi Arabia, art classroom, natural environment, natural sound