How do the Arts work in a developmental context?
Whilst there are many approaches to ACD, they can be broadly divided into three types: • Conveying information or a ‘message’ • Directly exploring issues with stakeholder communities through participatory arts activity • Indirectly addressing issues through working with marginalized groups. These approaches are not mutually exclusive and projects can involve elements of all three. Which is most appropriate will depend on the social, political and environmental context of the project; the particular social change goal you are hoping to achieve; and the size and type of stakeholder group(s) you are working with. • Conveying information or a ‘message’ An example might be a professional street theatre performance or a radio soap opera which deals with a controversial sexual health issue. With this approach, the public performance or exhibition is paramount. It is generally performed by professional practitioners and can reach a large number of people (hundreds or thousands), particularly t
