Art in the community

6.3.24

What does community mean to you? - group padlet

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Community

• Geographical community- a group of people living in the same place/ area; the district or locality in which a group lives; a group of people living under the same government; nationality

• Common interests community- e.g. The Artistic Community

• Social community- a unit of people with similar social views

• A community is a social unit with a shared socially significant characteristic, such as place, set of norma, culture, religion, values, customs or identity

The Definition of Art

• Is artistic activity that is based in a community setting, characterised by interaction or dialogue with the community and often involving a professional artist collaborating with people who may not otherwise engage in the arts

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History of community art

• The notion of community art evolved out of the idea of cultural democracy. Cultural Democracy emerged after WW2 and describes practices in which culture and artistic expression are genrated by individuals and communities rather than by institutions of central power. Cultural democracy seeks to democratise culture in order to bring about an awareness and appreciation of art to as eider a section of society as possible; and to break down the boundaries between high and low culture in order to make art accessible to a wider audience

Social Change through Art

• In the 1960s, when social change was seen as possible, community art was seen as a way of giving a voice to society's disenfranchised

What is Community Organising?

• Community organsing is the work of bringing people together to take action around their common concerns and overcome social injustice. Community organisers reach out and listen, connect and motivate people to build their collective power.