Social art
In this article, we use the term social art as an umbrella term to refer to practice that brings together the many approaches in this field, regardless of the type of art.
By Eeva Siljamäki, resercher and pedagogue.
Social art and the use of art-based methods
Using arts-based methods and artistic processes in different contexts outside the arts or institutions is a growing field in Finland. The field is referred to with a number of terms, including community art, public art or applied art. In this article, we use the term social art as an umbrella term to refer to practice that brings together the many approaches in this field, regardless of the type of art. Under social art fall concepts such as public art, cultural well-being, participatory art, socially engaged arts, applied arts, art activism and community arts.
The aim of social art is to bring about change in participants, audiences, things or the environment: these may be new perspectives, improved well-being or the development of skills. In social art, the audience participates or influences the artistic process, with the artist acting as a facilitator of change and action. Social art can be implemented in different communities, groups or organisations, such as care homes, day care centres, in mental health or prisons. The starting point is often the artist’s own interest in exploring the relationship between art, participants and society. In social art, the remit may include not only making art, but also communicating about art to different groups, working with professionals across disciplines, enabling participation in an artistic process or designing artistic processes for new contexts.
Social art
Definition: Using arts-based methods and processes with communities, groups or organisations (e.g. care homes, nurseries, prisons) within the expanding field of arts.
Goals: Facilitate change in participants or the environment: this may be the discovery of new perspectives, the promotion of well-being or the development of social skills.
The role of the artist: Expanding artistry, with the artist also acting as a facilitator, designer and/or collaborator.
Elements of social art
- The audience participates or influences the process.
- The artist acts as a facilitator of change.
- The activities take place outside art institutions.
Key approaches
Public art, cultural well-being, social art, socially engaged art, applied art, art activism, community art and audience engagement.
Image 1. Key features and approaches of social art
Social arts skills
Social art is a multifaceted field, where the skills needed can vary depending on the target group, the funding source, the context and the artist. At the core of professional competence is artistic (1) competence, which encompasses artistic orientation, an investigative mindset, practical artistic skills and related knowledge. Working with different people, groups, institutions and organisations is supported by social (2) competences, such as the ability to listen and communicate while acknowledging the participant’s point of view and an open and interested attitude towards diversity. An understanding of one’s own biases and assumptions, sensitivity to the needs of the participants and the ability to negotiate ethical challenges form ethical (3) competences, which guide the artist’s actions, thinking and choices, both consciously and unconsciously.
In social art, there is often a need for pedagogical (4) skills, manifested in flexibility, i.e. the ability to adapt activities and methods to the situation and the needs and goals of the community. The artist’s work with people is also supported by a growth mindset and an understanding of how to enable artistic, experiential and dialogical processes: how to create a safer space and guide processes of change, i.e. learning. Artists engaging in social arts are often self-employed or entrepreneurs working on a temporary or project funding. This means that securing employment requires professional skills (5), such as the ability to implement and manage projects in different contexts, environments, communities and multidisciplinary teams, networking and maintaining the artist’s own well-being.
Understanding stakeholders and context, documenting the process, collecting and analysing data, and reporting results are calls for research and development skills (6), which support the development of one’s own work and help to identify needs and opportunities for arts-based methods and to justify the use of different art forms and techniques. An understanding of the field of social arts and the contexts in which this work is done forms context-specific (7) competence, which also involves an open attitude towards new practices, collaboration and sharing. Context-specific competences also include the desire to understand the needs of stakeholders and target groups and the ability to reconcile these with artistic objectives. It supports the understanding of the factors contributing to the situation and, consequently, the making of ethically sound decisions.
Areas of expertise in social art
Social art requires a wide range of skills:
- Artistic skills: Artistic orientation and practical skills.
- Social skills: Interaction, listening and an open attitude.
- Ethical skills: Social justice and ethical considerations.
- Pedagogical skills: Managing change and learning processes and flexibility.
- Professional skills: Project management, networking and an entrepreneurial attitude.
- Research and development skills: Documentation, data analysis and justification of methods.
- Context-specific skills: Understanding the context and the needs of stakeholders.
Image 2. Areas of expertise in social art
Social art education and networks
Social art education has spread across Finland under various headings, representing different fields and approaches to art. Social art can be studied at vocational schools, universities of applied sciences, several open universities, further education and also Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes at universities. For example, in 2024, cultural well-being studies were available for social and health care professionals. Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees can be obtained, for example, from the University of Lapland’s Applied Visual Arts programme [ https://www.ulapland.fi/FI/Yksikot/Taiteiden-tiedekunta/Opinnot/Soveltava-taide- ] and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences’ Creativity and Arts in Social and Health Fields Master’s programme [ https://www.metropolia.fi/fi/opiskelu-metropoliassa/ylemmat-amk-tutkinnot/luovuus-ja-taide-sosiaali-ja-terveysaloilla]. Further education is offered, for example, by the Turku Academy of Arts, in its Hospital and Nursing Music programme [https://www.turkuamk.fi/yrityksille-ja-organisaatioille/koulutusta-henkilostolle/taideakatemian-tilaus-ja-taydennyskoulutukset/sairaala-ja-hoivamusiikin-koulutukset/ ].
Social art is an emerging field that does not yet have a legalised professional title or qualification. Therefore, those working in the field of social art may have a degree or qualification in, for example, arts, education, teaching, social work, or health. In the field of social art, the creator is often responsible for their own professional and competence development. In Finland, a social art professional often works outside established structures, for example in the third sector, in temporary projects, funded by grants, or as a freelancer or entrepreneur. The widely varied educational background of those working in the field of social art in Finland shows, for example, in the lack of a common code of ethics. International guidelines, such as the one developed for working at the interface between art and health. NOAH Code of Ethics [https://thenoah.net/code-of-ethics-2023-edition/] (NOAH, 2023), may be referred to a guidance.
There are networks of social art professionals in Finland, especially in the field of cultural well-being, such as Taikusydän [ https://taikusydan.turkuamk.fi/ ], a cooperation network led by Turku University of Applied Sciences, and CuWere [ https://cuwere.fi/ ], a joint competence centre of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jyväskylä. Among the many art-based methods and art communities in Finland are Sorin Sirkus [https://www.sorinsirkus.fi/ social-circus/ ], a social and youth circus and community; Porttiteatteri [ https://porttiteatteri.fi/ ], a theatre programme for prisoners; and Taiteen sulattamo [ https://taiteensulattamo.fi/ ], a project for mental health service users.
Training and employment
Training: Available in universities, universities of applied sciences and through continuing education at units located throughout Finland.
Examples:
University of Lapland (applied arts)
Metropolia (creativity and arts in social and health fields)
Turku Academy of Arts (hospital and nursing musician training).
Job markets: No legalised professional title. The work is often freelance or project-funded.
Networks: E.g. Taikusydän (Turku), CuWere (Metropolia and JYU).
Examples of activities: Sorin sirkus, Porttiteatteri and Taiteen sulattamo.
Challenges
Lack of standardised qualifications and ethical guidelines. International guidelines, such as the NOAH Code of Ethics, provide guidance.
Image 3. Social arts education and employment
Quick Guide to social art:
- It combines art and social change.
- It uses arts-based methods and processes in an expanding field of arts (e.g. care homes, day-care centres, prisons).
- Its implementation requires a wide range of skills.
- Social art is usually made within the framework of projects in diverse settings, for example, in the community and with groups or organisations.
- It aims to bring about a change in the participants or the environment; these may be the discovery of new perspectives, the promotion of well-being or the development of social skills.
- The artist often acts as a facilitator, designer and/or collaborator.
- Its approaches include community art, participatory or applied art.
Sources and further reading:
Bishop, C. (2012). Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship. Verso Books.
Fisher, S. & Thompson, J. (2020). Performing care. New Perspectives on socially engaged performance. Manchester University Press.
Frasz, A., & Sidford, H. (2017). Mapping the landscape of socially engaged artistic practice. Helicon Collaborative.
Heinsius, J. & Lehikoinen, K. (2013). Training Artists for Innovation: Competencies for New Contexts. Theatre Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-6670-05-8
Helguera, P. (2012). Education for Socially Engaged Art. Jorge Pinto Books.
Kantonen, L. & Karttunen, S. (2021). Yhteisötaiteen etiikka. Tilaa toiselle, arvoa arvaamattomalle. Taideyliopiston Teatterikorkeakoulu. https://taju.uniarts.fi/handle/10024/7410
Lacy, S. (Ed.). (1995). Mapping the terrain: New genre public art. Bay Press.
Lehikoinen, K., Pässilä, A., Martin, M. & Pulkki, M. (2016). Taiteilija kehittäjänä: taiteelliset interventiot työssä (pp. 7–33 Taideyliopiston Teatterikorkeakoulu. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-6670-73-7
Lehikoinen, K. & Siljamäki, E. (2023). Socially Engaged Arts (SEA) Practices: Key Skills and Capabilities. Research in Arts Education, 3, 8-26. https://doi.org/10.54916/rae.130211
Matarasso, F. (2019). A Resteless Art. How participation won and why it matters. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
NOAH (National Organisation for Arts and Health). (2023). NOAH Code of Ethics. [Retrieved on 08/11/2024 from https://thenoah.net/code-of-ethics-2023-edition/]
Siljamäki, E. (2024). Vuorovaikutus ja osallistumisen mahdollistaminen laajentuvan muusikkouden viitekehyksessä.
Vella, R. & Pule, M. (2021). Conducting participatory arts projects: A practical toolkit. University of Lapland. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-337-245-0
Westerlund, H., Karttunen, S., Lehikoinen, K., Laes, T., Väkevä, L., & Anttila, E. (2021). Expanding professional responsibility in arts education: Social innovations paving the way for systems reflexivity. International Journal of Education & the Arts 22(8).
