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Topic: Community + Arts

This is also known as Community Cultural Development. We include this overview here to inform readers who may be unfamiliar with community cultural development.

What is Community Cultural Development or Community Arts?

Community Cultural Development is funded by public or private groups to develop cultural outcomes for a local region. The outcomes take on a variety of forms such as theatre, sculpture, video, mosaics, prints, books, photography- a list as diverse as arts itself.

This work might be considered a new genre of collaborative art, reflecting some of the major developments of 20th century western art, which made audience participation an important part of the artistic experience. For example, rather than creating a public monument, a local government might opt to enlist artists to collaborate with local residents in creating artwork that often engages the community in examining local issues and identity.

In that spirit, community arts projects are often enlisted to be a part of community development. Effective community arts projects have shown the capacity for transformational cultural experiences. Such projects have dealt with racism: turning a community's diversity into its identity, or ageism: bringing isolated older people in contact with younger people.

Process versus Product

While this work can take many forms and be conducted in many ways, we might consider that there are some common features of good projects. An artist acts as a facilitator for collaboration. Often, traditional methods of working are not appropriate, and an artist must be open to improvisation in order to allow for collaboration. A high level of trust is necessary for the community participants to open up to the artist and take risks. Building relationships between the artist and community are of prime importance to allow for the collaborative experience.

Whereas in traditional art, perhaps only the resulting product may affect the viewer, in community arts the process of creation becomes a major part of the experience that has a lasting effect.

This partly explains why a vibrant debate exists in this field regarding 'the quality of process' versus 'the quality of product'. Community artists will continue to debate this, as it is a source of creative tension in the work itself.

Further Reading

Community Arts Forum
An organisation of community arts practitioners in Northern Ireland http://www.community-arts-forum.org/
Art and Community
http://www.artandcommunity.com/
"We assert that the future health of our communities will demand an expanded role by artists and cultural institutions at every level. Schools, factories, jails, symphony halls, neighborhood associations, senior centers, unemployment offices, and every other place imaginable offer opportunities for new cultural partnerships." (US)
Centre for Creative Communities (CCC)
http://www.creativecommunities.org.uk/
"The Centre for Creative Communities works in arts and education, cultural exchanges and urban regeneration, promoting the building of creative and sustainable communities, where creativity and learning have pivotal roles in personal, social and cultural development. Through targeting concerned agencies and individuals, and encouraging collaborative partnerships among diverse parties, the CCC aims to influence public and private policy in the area of community regeneration."(UK with international projects)
Community Arts Network
http://www.communityarts.net/
"The Community Arts Network (CAN) promotes information exchange, research and critical dialogue within the field of community-based arts, that is, art made as a voice and a force within a specific community of place, spirit or tradition. "
Their section Readings in Arts and Technology is especially relevant to our topic.
Creative Exchange
http://www.creativexchange.org/
"All over the world arts and culture are creating a change helping people to overcome hardship, conflict, ill-health, abuse and build a better future. Creative Exchange exists to educate people about this 'social role' of arts and culture. Our vision is a world where arts and culture play a significant role in human development." (UK with international links)