Creating Change Network/Centre Of Urban Community Research, Goldsmiths University
Abstract
‘What is art?’ and ‘what is social change?’ are two debates that have intersected at various points in discussions about the role of art in society. Both questions set off important conversations about the possibilities and limitations of identifying what counts as art and what kinds of impact can be made. At heart, however, is the need to understand how creativity, aesthetic problem solving and non-verbal communication respond to and engage with the political realm. Instead of maintaining false distinctions between the value of art as aesthetic and its potential as a tool of social cohesion, this discussion document opens up questions about practices that operate in the realm of community-engaged, participatory work with children and young people ‘at risk’ of offending
