Reinvigorating participation and mediation in art practices

Arts are a reflection of the questions that resonate in a society and serve as dynamic spaces to challenge norms and inspire cultural and social change. We invite both academic and practice-relevant research into the embeddedness of arts in the wider society, with a particular focus on participation in the arts, cultural mediation, and arts education. We study participation and learning in and through the arts, examining new strategies and methodologies that encourage active engagement and co-creation in art practices and lead to expanded notions of participation and inclusion. For instance, we study questions such as: ‘What is the role of cultural mediation (i.e. facilitating deeper engagement and fostering mutual learning between artists, artworks, and audiences) in social change?’ or ‘What is the impact of digital technologies, virtual platforms, and immersive experiences on expanding access to the arts and engaging audiences in new and innovative ways?’ As such, the research contributes to social change through the questioning of dominant conceptualizations of the who, how, why, and what of arts participation and mediation. The research will take place at an international level, with the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from different countries involved in arts education.

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