Arts in Community Settings

A report examining the outcomes of arts projects in community settings Strengthening Local Communities: Arts in Community Settings was launched by Lily D'Ambrosio, Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Communities. The report presents findings of an evaluation of two Arts Victoria community-focussed grants programs, Arts Development for Communities and Arts Residencies. The results of independently-mediated focus groups with artists, community participants and partner organisations were the primary source of data for the report which was jointly produced by the research units at Arts Victoria and the Department for Victorian Communities (now Department of Planning and Community Development).

The report demonstrates that arts can be a powerful and inclusive way of strengthening communities by:

• engaging hard-to-reach populations, such as youth, ethnic and socio-economically disadvantaged communities;
• providing a creative focus for communities to explore issues and aspirations;
• creating new and diverse artistic work and cultural experiences;
• developing confidence, pride and a sense of belonging in participants; and
• providing artists and participants with new career pathways and work opportunities

View Strengthening Local Communities: Arts in Community Settings (PDF 6.6mb)

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