The Arts bring life to our communities. They spark joy. They teach. It connects. They ask us to see things differently. But so often when the arts are used in community engagement activities it feels like an add-on, a sidebar. So how can the arts be integrated as the main event? What barriers or myths do we need to break down? Do we truly understand the benefits of an arts-based approach in order to advocate for it?
Hear from two artists, Hiba Abdallah and Chris Pandolfi, who specialize in community-engaged art. Hiba and Chris share inspiring examples from their practice and together we will explore:
- What do arts-based practices offer that is unique from traditional community engagement?
- What are the barriers? What is needed to expand arts-based engagement practices?
- What advice do you have for community changemakers who want to integrate the arts with changemaking?
Learn More:
- Learn more about Christopher's work at the Department of Unusual Certainties (DoUC)
- Explore Hiba Abdallah's art and projects
- Register for Foundations of Community Engagement to explore resources and tools that will equip you to build an engagement initiative from ideation to delivery