1. The role of grassroots arts in communities Jane Milling, University of ExeterJenny Phillimore, Third Sector Research Centre

2. 3. 4. Northern Hordes Break Dance Competition photo by Handle with Cake 5. 6. Grassroots arts and connected communities

AHRC Connected Communities programme

How do amateur arts connect/disconnect communities?

What is role of arts groups in enhancing self-reliance, sustainability, well-being etc?

Literature review and symposium what claims are made and how are they evidenced?

Findings: see summary document and report

For now we ask

• How does amateur arts connect communities

• What is distinctive about amateur arts

7. 8. Amateur arts connecting communities

Art develops the skills needed to connect communities....leadership, community mindedness, peer to peer teaching, communication skills and technical skills that can connect people to work

Art connects communities across social and ethnic groups, generations, localities, international borders and via new technologies

9. 10. 11. Amateur arts connecting communities

Art as non verbal communication can aid inclusion, belonging, self-esteem and self confidence, develop enduring friendships, bring pleasure, aid cognitive and emotional wellbeing and reduce loneliness

Art can help maintain or reconstruct identity, preserve tradition, create new social phenomena, enhance community image and attractiveness

12. 13. What is distinctive about amateur arts?

Without the official agendas of community arts or interventionist arts. More than audience participation of public art. Builds relationships with community/ public/ professional arts intertwined within an ecology.

Passion for the Arts- more than a hobby. For some people becomes serious leisure directly linked to employment, intrinsic artistic involvement is valued, relationship to fun, family, for the love of it.

14. 15. 16. What is distinctive about amateur arts?

Self-organisation and the desire to see others participate - leadership skills among many participants; encouragement to youth; valuing of process over product.

Distinctive aesthetics that sustain and evolve traditions, folk arts, more often choral rather than star turns.

Different relationship to time and practice benefits integrated into everyday life; creativity and flow; improvisation and experimentation.

17. 18. What next?

Two interactive sessions today

What are the impacts of amateur arts activity across these domains?

What evidence do, or could, amateur arts collect to evidence impact?

Final report incorporating todays data and synthesis of literature online by end of 2011

Bid for follow on funds to develop a tool to measure impact if successful start Jan 2012

Watch the VA and TSRC websites for emerging news

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