Participation in community arts: lessons from the inner-city

Abstract

In this paper we critically reflect, through the lens of liberation psychology, on our experiences of using participative community arts in work with young people and intergenerational groups in inner-city Manchester, UK. We used mixed methods to examine the impact of and engagement with community arts in two projects. One study was quasi experimental in design and used questionnaires developed by the researchers to compare Higher Education aspirations with levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy, as a result of participating in creative music sessions. The other study was a multi-media action research project, using qualitative methods to explore participant experience and the impact of the activities. Our methods included observations, interviews, the creative products and the creative processes. Through our critical reflections, we examine the role of power and powerlessness in participative arts, as well as ways in which participation had the potential to enable 'conscientisation' which in turn had the potential to lead to self-empowerment and motivation for action. Both projects demonstrated the importance of forming 'communities of practice' with a diverse range of stakeholders in order to gain maximum impact from the projects and move towards a position of collaborative governance. We found that this approach was a useful starting point for facilitating 'collaborative governance' for wider social and political change.

Community-based arts research for people with learning disabilities: challenging misconceptions about learning disabilities

“…1-2). Clennon et al (2016) further suggest that the collective gain that may be achieved by participating in community-based arts can lead to transformative social change (also see Purcell, 2009;Swindells et al, 2013). This is in contrast to community-arts-informed research, which can be created for the sake of scholarship and research (Cahnmann-Taylor, 2007;Shannon-Baker, 2015), with a concern for advancing knowledge rather than developing visually pleasing works of art that is accessible to all (Cole and Knowles, 2008).…”

“…This is in marked contrast to other qualitative methods, such as focus groups and interviews, which are usually applied in participatory research with people with learning disabilities (Jurowski, 2008;Povee et al, 2013), ensuring that there are problems for people who need alternative forms of communication and accessibility. Whilst research relating to community-based arts research is developing, this research has already demonstrated that it can provide specific benefits, including towards health and social well-being (Selkrig, 2011), opportunities for artistic expression (Lawson et al, 2014), self-esteem and communication (Argyle and Bolton, 2005), and transformative change (Clennon et al, 2016). Thus, by using creative and visual methods, the men were able to challenge some of the misconceptions related to learning disabilities, such as not being able to work, the discrimination that they face regarding their experiences and knowledge, and how they relate to people.…”

Designing, Adapting and Selecting Tools for Creative Engagement: A Generative Framework

“…The first kind of creative engagement uses creative acts (making, modelling through different media including film, photography and storytelling) as a way of considering community and societal issues. Research into the partnerships between the Voluntary Arts and Community Sector, public and social service providers in the UK, gives evidence for the value of creative engagement between public bodies and citizens (Kagan & Duggan, 2011;Clennon et al, 2016). Value is demonstrated through the opportunity it affords for inclusivity of voices (Sarkissian et al, 2010;Kagan & Duggan, 2011;Clennon et al, 2016), and its ability to bridge divides.…”

“…Research into the partnerships between the Voluntary Arts and Community Sector, public and social service providers in the UK, gives evidence for the value of creative engagement between public bodies and citizens (Kagan & Duggan, 2011;Clennon et al, 2016). Value is demonstrated through the opportunity it affords for inclusivity of voices (Sarkissian et al, 2010;Kagan & Duggan, 2011;Clennon et al, 2016), and its ability to bridge divides. It converts historic norms of top-down engagement into the co-construction of new cultural practices and collaborative governance, with improved chances of long term success (Kagan & Duggan, 2011;Clennon et al, 2016).…”

“…Value is demonstrated through the opportunity it affords for inclusivity of voices (Sarkissian et al, 2010;Kagan & Duggan, 2011;Clennon et al, 2016), and its ability to bridge divides. It converts historic norms of top-down engagement into the co-construction of new cultural practices and collaborative governance, with improved chances of long term success (Kagan & Duggan, 2011;Clennon et al, 2016).…”