Y Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chwaraeon

Adolygiad Polisi: Cyfraniad y Celfyddydau a Chwaraeon at Adfywio Cymunedol

The Art of Change

The arts can make a difference in people’s lives and help to revitalise communities. Painting, sculpture, theatre, photography, dance and music are enlightening or entertaining, and when the people in a community make their own art, a powerful transformation can occur in their lives. This is art for everyone: without barriers of race, age or ability - people expressing themselves, giving their communities new vision and themselves new confidence and skills. Participation in the arts is good for communities: it helps people feel that they belong and have something to contribute - the shy outsider can become a performer and a community known for its social problems can become a place that people are proud of. It is thanks to the work of many community arts groups in Wales, some of whose work is represented in this exhibit, that with the support of public bodies such a wealth of local arts activities can take place. CREATING COMMUNITY Community arts help those who live in deprived areas believe in themselves and what they can do - as individuals and as a community. Self-confident communities are better placed to make social and economic progress - bricks and mortar regeneration alone will just build an empty shell. For people to embrace change they need to experience it. People taking part in activities such as mime, dance or drama can actually feel themselves changing. Community arts projects can also result in real improvements to the physical environment. By making the community a more beautiful place, people feel they have the power to make positive changes in their lives. Cultural programmes need relatively few resources and are very cost effective; they are flexible, and can be developed quickly to meet local needs and ideas. Arts programmes are not an alternative to broader regeneration initiatives, but 'like yeast in dough’ can transform a given situation . NURTURING SELF-CONFIDENCE The arts can transform not only a community’s appearance but its spirit too. To improve local areas, the people living there must have the motivation and self-confidence to reconstruct their lives. Involvement with the arts can contribute greatly to this. Community arts help people find new purpose in their lives. Because arts activities focus on the use of talents, they develop self-esteem and respect for self and others. Working on a creative activity offers a source of deep enjoyment and encourages people to feel more sure of their abilities. By drawing on participants’ own experiences and resources, participation in the arts is especially effective in supporting the self-development of individuals and groups experiencing poverty or disadvantage. PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY Participation in the arts benefits the individuals involved, and also offers enormous social gains to the whole community. Because the arts are exciting, colourful and sociable, they encourage people to take part in local activities. Community arts projects help people to feel a part of where they live, and enable people of different ages, backgrounds, cultures and genders to work together creatively on new projects. Arts activities bring recognition to members of society who may not receive this from other sources, and give a voice to people who feel excluded from traditional means of expression. They create a positive and safe environment in which people can work together to make new contributions to their communities and take more control of their lives. CELEBRATING CULTURAL DIVERSITY It is everyone’s right to participate in a nation’s culture, and arts projects encourage involvement from disparate groups. The arts help create understanding between diverse communities, particularly in areas where groups do not speak the same language or have different cultural backgrounds. Through involvement with culture and the arts, people appreciate the traditions and values of their neighbours and discover what they have in common. Entirely new art forms may emerge which are accessible and exciting, formed by wild mixes and cross-cultural exchange. Community arts depict and represent recognisable community situations, events and characters. They help people develop a sense of identity and an interest in their own culture that they can celebrate in a highly visible way. International exchanges and collaborations are organised by many community arts organisations in Wales. Cultural exchanges are energising and liberating. They are an opportunity to see things from new points of view and learn to value difference. ENHANCING CHILDREN’S CREATIVITY Children are by nature creative. Involvement with the arts stimulates children in ways which benefit the rest of their studies. Arts education in schools encourages learning and improves key skills including literacy, numeracy, information technology and communications. Arts activities in the community give children a chance to work with other people on a shared project. This can break down barriers between different groups and encourage children to feel appreciated and accepted. Future generations are likely to live in a society of increased leisure time, in which an individual’s creative skills will be more important. Involvement with the arts helps children prepare for this. Perhaps most importantly for children - the arts are fun! INVOLVING YOUNG ADULTS Young adults need constructive outlets for expressing their creativity. Many young people are deeply interested in music, film, fashion, dance and drama. Community arts projects enable young people to see themselves as creators, rather than just consumers, of culture - developing a greater sense of self-respect and responsibility in the process. By expressing their concerns and experiences in a creative way, young people can be heard by the wider community, and feel that they are valued and have a stake in the future. Youth arts activities can also help counteract distrust between different social groups. Old and young, able and disabled, police and youth can all understand each other better through arts and culture projects. New forms of self-expression are always emerging. They are often embraced first by young people, who then play an important role in introducing them to the rest of the community. Involvement with arts projects gives young people the opportunity to acquire artistic, technical and organisational skills, which are of value when seeking training or employment. DEVELOPING WORK SKILLS The arts depend on self-reliance and flexibility - characteristics which are increasingly important in the employment market. There are few better ways to develop the wide range of abilities needed in an enterprise culture than through the arts, where hands-on skills and creative thinking count more than formal educational qualifications. Jobs are increasingly in the knowledge-based and creative industries. Community arts projects provide people with the confidence and abilities to find new routes to employment, unlocking their potential in unexpected ways. They develop skills that are transferable to employment, voluntary work and other socially valuable areas. Cultural initiatives can also lead people on to further training. Cultural products and industries themselves offer opportunities for job creation. By broadening social networks, arts activities can link people with news of work in other areas. ENCOURAGING CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING Creativity crosses social, political and conceptual boundaries, enabling those leaps of imagination which are vital to problem-solving. Community arts activities bring out the creativity in everyone and challenge the idea that 'good art’ can only be produced by professional artists. Participation in the arts helps people develop the ability to meet the challenges and problems in their lives in new and effective ways - individually and as part of a community. Involvement in the excitement, anger, magic, colour, symbolism, feeling and metaphor of the arts lets people think critically about, and question, their experiences and those of others. STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS Group arts projects help participants develop their capacity to improvise, manage and lead activities. Involvement in the arts enables people to explore and share relevant life experiences, helping develop the motivation and capacity to discuss and express their needs as a group. The community arts process provides an opportunity for groups to reflect on their experiences and make these visible to society. Through this process communities and organisations increase their ability to participate in the decision-making that affects them. Arts activities often involve organising one-off events, performances and exhibitions - enabling community groups to develop valuable organisational skills and to network with other groups, giving them access to a wider range of resources. IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Access to participation in the arts contributes greatly to the health, well-being, stability, development and happiness of individuals and society. People who express themselves creatively are less likely to suffer from isolation and depression, or be drawn into anti-social or destructive behaviour. Creativity also contributes directly to improved health; arts activities in hospitals promote motivation and optimism and can lead to faster recovery. Arts activities help people with mental health problems to develop the confidence, interests and support networks to live successfully in the community. Involvement with the arts can make people more appreciative of natural materials and the environment, leading to a way of life which is healthier for individuals and for the environment. Steve Garrett
Chair
Wales Association of Community Artists
December 2003