1 «How much experience, how much theory»? On priorities in art professional training via an example from music education Dimitris Sarris Music Teacher, PhD Candidate, Panteion University of Athens Scholar of the State Scholarship Foundation Abstract «Unlimited access to knowledge», «return to orality», rising of lifelong education and self- learning, develop new conditions - some argue that are conditions of a crisis too - not only in Education, but in Education for Educators, especially at the field of Arts. The importance of living «Experience» and «Theory» in Education for Educators will be the main subject for this issue. At first we’ll examine these two practices: - Experience. Training for educators based at learning by experience (e.g. workshops), dramatizing and activities, strongly attracts the interest of the trainees. It’s a fascinating form of education, directly useful in the classroom, which enforces communication between persons. In contradistinction of theory, it’s an applied and practical way to learn. - Theory. Introducing and developing theory presupposes special attention from participants and offers an amount of knowledge without the ensuring that a necessary knowledge background already exists. The success of this way of teaching has its bases in technical support, notes, and a high level of organization. Knowledge should be assimilated from the participants in the future, that they will spend time, approach bibliography, and study in person. In this issue we start from the results of an evaluation that music educators did for a Music Training Program that they participated. With this we’ll find results about the relation between «Experience» and «Theory» in Education for Art Educators. Key issues for this will be: - Contemporary Learning needs. Necessary skills such as metaknowledge, critical data access, interdisciplinary approach, self-learning, research ability, and methodology, innovation give a minimum of necessary high theoretical training, with reflectivity and a scientific value in time. This training develops «philosophy» for applications and workshop activities. - Methodological approach. Theory, during a complete, holistic approach, drives to a complete discovery of teachers’ abilities and encourages new ones. Understanding of theory opens systematically new fields of qualitative creation and development. In the other hand, experience could be the motive for a case study example, that will «release» new options, new horizons at the inquires of the trainee. - Specifications of Art education. Variety of the ways that Arts connect to knowledge and experienced knowledge goes too far. We cannot criticize theory and living experience, but only with the examination of the educational result. Art in any form, functions as a «medium» for our purpose. We should understand and utilize the abilities of this medium. Main purpose of our conclusions is to help on issues of didactic and educational planning, related to matters of theory (systematic development) and experience (theatrical action). Emphasizing at theory does not mean the ignorance of living experience. Also, emphasizing at experience does not mean the ignorance of systematic action and a «philosophy» that theory inspires to the activity. These conclusions could be useful as much at the level of educational policy making, as much at the level of daily educational activity in the classroom.