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November 10, 2006
Increasingly, practitioners working in the domain of arts and social change, usually artists who engage in art-making in collaboration with communities, have noted the need for solid training as the field expands. Traditionally, learning in the domain of arts and social change has been on-the-job, and although learning-by-doing is seen as critically important among leading organizations in the field, formal training opportunities—which most often include practical experience in communities—are prized and scarce. This study on the meanings and practices of social change work in the arts was initiated by Judith Marcuse Projects in Vancouver, Canada, to provide a foundation for the development of teaching and training activities at a new International Centre for Art and Social Change.
Forty-six organizations and individual artists—identified as exemplary in terms of artistic practice and social change impact—participated in this study by taking part in a telephone interview with open- and closed-ended questions covering topics from community-engagement practices to social-change values to training activities. Eleven of the organizations and artists are located largely in urban settings in Canada, 25 are scattered across the United States, and ten others are located in Europe, Australia, and Asia. The first part of this report includes summary descriptions of the 46 organizations and artists. The second part opens with an analysis of how six organizations link the meanings of social change in their work to their artistic and community-engagement practices, as well as their work’s social impacts. A second analysis explores the diversity of possibilities in creating training in the domain of arts and social change.
Understanding how the meanings of social change relates to practices in the domain of arts and social change
The seven main meanings of social change that emerged as critical to the domain of arts and social change from the 46 interviews with organizations and artists are:
The thrust of this analysis was to explore organizational values—the meanings of social change—and then to relate those values to practices and impacts in six diverse organizations. Looking at the linkage between values, practices and impacts uncovered themes—such as collaboration, decentralization, and modeling—that gave new perspective to the organizations’ work. One organization defied description using a values, practices and impacts framework; this single case suggests that new methodologies are needed to generate deeper understandings of the domain of arts and social change. Understanding teaching and training in the domain of arts and social change
The six organizations analyzed as case studies for teaching and training have a range of goals for engaging in training activity, including goals for the development of the organization, for the learners, for development of the domain of arts and social change, and for creating change in society. Training programs can target artists, social service workers or activists, or the general public, and learners can come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Recruitment, application and interview processes will shape the pool of learners in the programs. Most of the teaching and training programs emphasize learning by doing, and provide learners with a real-life experience of creating art and/or engaging communities around creating art. Collaboration, relationship-building and partnership are key concepts for teaching or training in the domain of arts and social change. Organizational and institutional context are critically important to how the training programs are structured and supported. The resources available to the programs influence, above all, the composition and diversity of the learners who are able to attend. The broader social contexts in which the programs are nested—from neighborhoods, regions and nations to networks—impact learning opportunities and experiences.
Implications for research in the domain of arts and social change
Four major areas of inquiry that remain to be researched in depth include a) the values teaching and training organizations aim to instill in learners; b) the values, tools and skills that learners are taking away from experiences in training programs and implementing in their community work; c) what are the legacies of teaching and training programs for the domain of arts and social change; and d) how the language and practices of this domain can inform the development of new and innovative research methodologies.
Implications for training in the domain of arts and social change
A series of reflective questions, derived from the findings of the study, help to guide practitioners seeking to develop teaching or training opportunities in the domain of arts and social change. Questions are organized around program values, motivations and goals; who the learners are; recruiting practices; program structure and practices; creating a program culture; assessing learners and the program; supporting alumni; the organizational context; and the broader social context.
Recommendations for training in the domain of arts and social change
This study concludes with nine broad recommendations for individuals seeking to develop training programs in the domain of arts and social change drawn from the findings of the two analyses on meanings, practices and impacts on the one hand, and teaching and training approaches on the other. The nine recommendations, briefly stated, are:
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