MESOC Serapeum | Where culture meets AI

Id		104
Author		Kay, A.,
Title		Art and community development: The role the arts have in regenerating communities
Reference		Kay, A. (2000). Art and community development: The role the arts have in regenerating communities. Community Development Journal, 35 (4): 414–424.
Link to article		https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/35.4.414
Abstract		The arts are often considered to be at the periphery of the community development process and only a minor player in regenerating areas. Despite increasing globalization, communities are beginning to recognize their own identity, culture, traditional art forms and the value of working together at a local level. This paper is based on a recent study which shows that the arts have a role in regeneration and at a local level can be used as a tool within a wider community development programme.

Results:

Candidate transition variables
Environmental: referring to improvements in the surrounding area and buildings to improve the quality of life for the local population. .
Many local communities have their own culture and history which adds to the quality of peoples lives. .
The author discovered that individual and community group participation in the arts can improve self-confidence and self-identity and found that often the social interaction that comes from active involvement in arts programmes can greatly add to social development within communities. .
It is about the image and self-image of an area; but it is also about the heritage, history, traditions and skills within a society. .
In our understanding of the role of arts in regeneration, we also discovered general agreement that the arts can: increase individuals personal development by helping their confidence, skills and motivation assist in social development as participants can make new friends and become interested in new topics improve the local image with people feeling more positive about where they live, and help participants feel better and healthier from their involvement in arts projects. .
The arts have a particular role to play in: encouraging people into training and employment; supporting volunteers and participants in personal development; improving the image of an area; social cohesion and active citizenship; local people recognizing their own cultural identity; and improving the quality of peoples lives through individual and collective creativity. .
This paper is based on a recent study which shows that the arts have a role in regeneration and at a local level can be used as a tool within a wider community development programme..
It also indicates that community arts projects happen in different parts of the world helping people to develop skills and at the same time allowing them to express themselves through participation. .
The subsequent report revealed that arts projects could create a greater understanding of different cultures; more skills in community leadership and management; and a stronger sense of community identity. .
It also encourages partnership between the arts project and the local community who will then have influence on the development of the project. .
Similarly, community involvement is essential in arts-based projects as they tend to focus on the personal development and attitudinal change within communities. .
If we accept that the arts can be an integral part of the regeneration process then they can be an important tool in empowerment. .
Skills are developed, responsibility is taken and through the arts the local culture can be changed. .
Strategic use of the arts within wider regeneration policies It is important that arts projects are an integral part of an overall regeneration policy. .
Active involvement in the development of arts projects can have an effect on all four aspects and can thus assist in the regeneration of an area. .
The arts could have a pivotal role to play in the regenerating of areas of social exclusion. .
Where the arts have a significant role is in changing the culture of an area. .
It is possible that the arts and cultural activity have a role in changing the culture of the area and make it a more creative and vibrant society for young people. .
Conclusions The arts have an important role to play in the regeneration of areas whose residents are disadvantaged economically, socially, culturally, and environmentally. .
The significance and role that the arts can play in regeneration has to be valued by policy makers and practitioners in community development and regeneration. .
The creative energies of local individuals can greatly enhance our culture and encourage more and more people to take an active role in community development. .
This community empowerment through the arts can alleviate some of the adverse excesses of globalization. .
Finally, the realization of the role of arts in regeneration may require attitudinal changes amongst local people, development specialists as well as arts workers themselves. .
It can refer to the fine arts or high arts, exposure to which, can refine the sensibilities of the local population. .
People-centred development strategies are increasing in vogue and art at a local level appears to be able to add to social and economic regeneration. .
There is now recognition that many people working on renewal and regeneration programmes in cities are becoming increasingly aware of the human potential of a community, and that the arts can be used as a mechanism to trigger individual and community development (Landry, 1996). .
A subsequent study (Matarasso, 1998b), describing the social impact of Belfasts cultural activity, indicates that community arts projects can impact positively on the personal development of participants and community regeneration. .
The fact that local communities feel sufficiently empowered to take control of arts projects and then guide and develop them for the benefit of the wider population can only be good in strengthening the capacity of the community. .
This bringing together of arts into community development, and community development embracing the arts in the development of a holistic approach to people-centred development, is one of the challenges facing the arts and community development specialists. .
If arts projects are seen as a tool of empowerment - controlled by the beneficiaries and something that belongs to the community - they could have a dramatic effect on regeneration. .
Collective artistic expression by communities can assist local people assert and empower themselves and thereby countering the negative effects of globalization. .
Evidence indicates they can contribute to the overall regeneration of an area using preDominantely people-centred strategies within a community development framework. .
Social: referring to encouraging social connections through facilities, organizations and clubs that can enhance the quality of life through human contact between individuals, families and sections of society. .
Community ownership is ultimately important with arts projects working in regeneration as it facilitates a process of local control. .
In an evaluation of an Arts Awareness Intervention (CAFE, 1996) it was discovered that participants on arts project experienced a dramatic shift in attitude and appetite for arts education and training, and that arts projects had an impact on self-expression, communication, feeling good, working hard, pride in the making, having fun, and feeling part of the team as well as income generation. .
This study was part of a national programme which concluded that investment in the arts can influence the regeneration of an area through creating opportunities for training, establishing jobs, attracting arts-related spending power, increasing the attractiveness of an area for business and consumers, and encouraging arts facilities for commercial and non-arts uses. .
This project aims to culturally regenerate a socially and economically depressed rural area through significant arts activity for one week in the summer; a city wide arts partnership implementing an arts strategy integral to the local authoritys overall aim to regenerate the city. .
At a regional or citywide level it is of benefit to have an arts strategy that takes account of the local situation and builds on what is already available. .
The strategy is not only about community development in the disadvantaged areas but also about capital intensive projects in the city centre. .
This is particularly evident in cases where those most marginalized and disadvantaged were encouraged to participate. .
The project has enjoyed widespread support; has social and economic aims; and initiates, funds, guides and develops a range of arts projects in drama, video production, music, visual arts and literature; an arts project focussing on providing training for young people on a peripheral housing estate and carried out in conjunction with community groups. .
Increased confidence and well being will enable individuals to apply for work; and conversely people in employment will feel that they can contribute to their community through a form of active citizenship. .
If policymakers and funders were to give more value to the softer data then arts projects would be more confident to publicize it. .
Arts projects are most effective when they are owned by the local community. .
Importance of community consultation, involvement and ownership In arts projects, community consultation is important as it solicits the views of members of the community in terms of need and interest. .
One of these tools is the use of participatory arts projects. .
The research established that arts projects: are versatile, flexible and wide ranging in the activities they can offer; can be used in training and employment; are attractive to young people; are non-threatening to the most marginalized and excluded in society; are good at encouraging economic investment; can be used in the development of communities through active citizenship and increased involvement in other community-base projects. .
They are people-centred in their approach and therefore change within the community will happen only if there is a high, active involvement by members of the local community. .

ARTICLE - CANDIDATE TRANSITION VARIABLES

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