In the HEART project, we used community-based art education as a method to create transformative learning. During our pilot projects, we employed various art-based methods with different pilot groups.

Community-based art is artistic activity that is based in a community setting, characterized by interaction or dialogue with the community members and often involving a professional artist/art educator collaborating with people who may not otherwise engage in the arts. 

The premise of community art is that anyone can participate and create art, regardless of age, socio-economic status, gender or ability. Everyone joins from their own starting point and is welcome as they are. In the HEART project pilots, we designed the work to accommodate the diverse needs of participants, ensuring a safe and inclusive atmosphere to prevent any feelings of exclusion. Read more about creating safer space in your courses here.

Main features of community art

• Inclusiveness: Everyone is welcome as they are. No previous experience in making art is necessary.
• Participant Orientation: The needs and wishes of the group are prioritized.
• Varied Participation: Participants can take on different roles in the process.
• Collaborative Work: Fostering a sense of belonging in the group and community.
• Empowerment: Encouraging participants to feel capable and knowledgeable.
• Focus on Process and Experiences: Emphasizing experiences over final products. This helps creating transformative learning and strengthens the sense of belonging.
• Potential for Performances or Exhibitions: Community-based art can lead to public showcases like exhibitions or performances.

Using community-based art education in the HEART project

Collaborative art-making fosters a sense of community and belonging. It gives participants meaningful roles, with a process-oriented approach that values experiences over outcomes. Community-based art education is an effective way to explore the constantly evolving phenomena of intangible cultural heritage. This approach helps participants understand the nature of culture as something integrated into everyday life, something that is always alive and changing. Art allows participants to examine their personal connections to cultural heritage.

Community-based art education also aims to enhance participants' self-sufficiency. Artistic creation often involves uncertainty, prompting critical reflection and potential transformation. Interaction and dialogue within the art-making process can lead to new perspectives, even if it involves discomfort or frustration. Art educators play a crucial role in supporting participants through these experiences, facilitating transformative learning.

Role of art educators in our pilot projects

• Process Focus: Emphasizing the process over artistic products.
• Collaborative Facilitation: Guiding the artistic and learning process through reflection and direction.
• Creating Safety: Ensuring participants feel secure during the open and uncertain process.
• Cross-Disciplinary Expertise: Having art educators from different fields than the cultural heritage being explored to encourage diverse influences and creativity.

Examples from our pilots

Read more about participatory methods and examples from our pilots.

See a sample exercise for close listening and facilitating understanding.

Try a writing exercise for engaging the senses in describing a memory.

References

Jussilainen, Anna. 2019. "Yhteisötaide – historiaa, määrittelyä ja käytäntöjä [Community Art – History, Definition, and Practices]." Accessed February 5, 2023. Retrieved from Disco.

Finnish Heritage Agency. 2018. "Learning Material for Studying Intangible Cultural Heritage: Opi aineeton kulttuuriperintö." Retrieved from Opi aineeton kulttuuriperintö.