Collaborative Projects in Arts Advocacy

Today, I’m thrilled to be chatting with Sofie V., about The Art Bridge, a 6 year (!) collaboration between M Leuven and a local primary school, exploring how art can boost children's self-confidence and visual literacy. Mater Dei is a city school with a diverse student community. Art plays an important role in the pedagogical approach. The whole school, including students and teachers were involved in the project with specific activities and workshops for each year group, such as workshops guided by artists like photographer Evy Raes and participatory theatre maker Katrien Oosterlinck. Older students students also underwent guided tour training, where they learned to lead tours of the museum for their parents and teachers. The project focused on enhancing visual literacy among students by involving them in activities to analyse and interpret visual information. Students learned to closely observe artworks, express their thoughts and feelings, and engage in discussions. Research findings by Katrien Goossens revealed that "The Art Bridge" positively influenced children's attitudes toward art. It boosted their self-confidence and emphasized the significance of constructive teamwork with peers. This project was also awarded the ICOM CECA International Committee for Education and Cultural Action Best Practice Award in 2023. 🎉 To find out more about the Art Bridge, listen to Episode 123 of The Art Engager Podcast via the links in the comments 👇 #artengagement #museumeducation #visualliteracy

🎨 Ever wondered how a single mural could transform a struggling neighborhood into a thriving community hub? That's exactly what happened when 12 local artists were united with tech startups and homeless shelters in downtown Seattle. The power of collaborative #art isn't just about creating beautiful spaces – it's about forging unexpected alliances that drive real change. Here's what we've learned: - When businesses provide resources and artists bring creativity, nonprofits can amplify their impact 10x - Cross-sector art projects create 3x more community engagement than traditional charity events - 87% of participating businesses report improved brand perception and employee satisfaction But the real magic? Watching a corporate CEO pick up a paintbrush alongside a youth shelter resident, both working toward the same vision. These initiatives aren't just feel-good projects. They're strategic investments in community transformation, employee engagement, and sustainable social impact. Have you witnessed the impact of art-based collaboration in your community? Share your story below! 👇 #SocialImpact #CommunityArt #CrossSectorCollaboration #SocialInnovation #CorporateSocialResponsibility

Many of the stories I've showcased so far focus on research in a specific discipline. Sometimes, however, that research needs to be widely communicated and understood if we're going to solve wicked problems. One thing that touches all our lives, albeit in different ways, is the arts, and today's story is about those who help to tell the story itself, in new and creative ways. Most people will be familiar with the laudable UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and sadly, most readers will also know that the world is not on track to achieve these goals by 2030. There are 169 SDG targets and we're only on track with about 17% of those currently. Clearly, we need to do something different. One suggestion is to engage more effectively with arts, humanities and culture in new ways to communicate better and inspire action. Two projects in Ireland that are doing precisely that are the "Earth Writings" book series in Maynooth University and "The Changing Planet" programme at the iCRAG Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences in University College Dublin. The Earth Writings series is an innovative collaboration between artists, activists and academics from Irish Universities, led by Dr Nessa Cronin, Gerry Kearns and Karen Till. There is far too much content to try do it justice in a short post so you can read more here: https://earthwritings.ie/ Similarly, "The Changing Planet" programme, led by Fergus McAuliffe aims to engage artists and scientists in co-creation to enhance the public's understanding of earth sciences through artistic expression. Again, there is a lot of inspiring content to read at: https://lnkd.in/eeKEeyPC There is something for all tastes in the work done by these two projects including books, poems, art, pottery, theatre, cinema and much more. Research Ireland #IrishResearch #SciComm #STEAM