Social Impact of The Art

The first systematic studies of the social impact of the arts appeared in mid-late 1990s (Landry et al, 1996; Matarasso 1997; Stern, 2001). The interest of researchers was sparked by the concerns of arts practitioners about the tendency of funding agencies to measure the value of artistic projects by quantifying their economic outputs rather than acknowledging its aesthetic and social value. These early works sought to add a social dimension to the economic and aesthetic rationales for the arts by looking for the evidence of the social benefits of the arts and identifying the ways in which arts can be linked to social virtues of tolerance, inclusion, honesty, self-confidence and respect.



To bring the evidence in support of these arguments researchers conducted extensive studies in Western Europe and in the U.S. to show how arts positively affect both individuals and 6 communities.
iii Most claims about social impacts of arts come from studies that examine participation in community and informal arts projects (Wali, Severson and Longoni, 2002).
iv These studies suggest that community arts projects due to their accessibility and inclusiveness
lead to increased social cohesion, improved intergenerational and interracial communication, and
enhanced sense of community among dispersed individuals. Community arts projects that
typically bring people together for a prolonged period of time serve as natural venues in which
friendships, partnerships and cooperation can develop. Such activities can also nurture local
democracy by encouraging people to become more active citizens, teaching them valuable
community building skills, and helping them to learn about complex political and social ideas.
It is believed that civic outcomes of community arts projects much like the civic outcomes of religious activities are achieved through learning skills necessary for participation in civic and political life, such as negotiating, public speaking, planning, and decision making (Verba, Schlozman, and Brady, 1995). Common interest and passion for arts, and desire to sustain arts in the community motivate community members to learn how to engage with local government, community groups, businesses and funding agencies. As a result, individuals participating in community-based arts have higher rates of participation in civic activities that include advocating for arts and community causes, voting in elections and joining voluntary organizations (Wali et al. 2002).

While the studies examining the social impacts of community arts projects are based on the premise of civic skill building, the studies that look into social benefits of audience based participation are grounded in the belief that arts have the ability to contribute to “a stable, confident and creative society” due to their inherent “creativity, openness and elasticity” (Matarasso, 1997, p. 79). As Matarasso argued, “it is in the act of creativity that empowerment.