Jocelyn Cunningham - Arts & Society

Uncommon Ground suggests that the arts can offer a frame for shared experiences that enable complex explorations of a place in ‘seeing differently’ and ‘imagining otherwise’. This approach is realised in a three-year project in Peterborough, England entitled Arts and Social Change, which was about understanding the conditions on the ground for change and responding to this as opposed to designing a project and then implementing it. In this way, the concept of invisibility plays a critical role in methodology but there is also the continual goal of making visible that which is hidden. This was based upon the notion that if we did this well, we could leave without being noticed, hence a story of mystery and intrigue. The city wanted to tackle the lack of attachment that citizens felt about where they lived, increase civic participation in local community and political life as well as develop new ways of working together. All ideas were built upon the concept of what would enable people to do all this for themselves – what were the conditions that could sustain this behaviour change? The programme addressed culture change in a systemic way through the arts, not using the arts as a mechanism for change. In fact, many people did not see the projects they did as arts based at all. The term ‘creative practice’ was employed referring to the processes, structures and thinking that underpin arts practice as channels and catalysts for defining new ways of working. Arts and Social Change was a narrative that cannot be outlined as a single case study and its most surprising and successful chapter was one that was never intended – a leadership programme with city leaders. All of these case studies can be see on the RSA’s website (the agency delivering this programme).
The story of this programme is captured by Peter Senge:
“Deep beliefs and assumptions can change as experience changes and when this happens, culture changes. The carrier of culture is the story we tell ourselves over and over. When the experiences change, so do the stories.”

Transcript

1. UNCOMMON GROUND Something invisible this way comes A story of magic and adventure
2. People. Create. Change. in partnership with the citizens of Peterborough Peterborough City Council Arts Council England RSA http://www.thersa.org/action-research-centre/public-services-arts-social-change/ citizen-power/arts-and-social-change  
3. Starting from where you’re really at  
4. 21st century enlightenment Before Citizen Power 3 month scoping study of local needs: Extensive literature review Local strategies and public opinion data Academic and public policy research on place-shaping Creative public participation approaches Deliberative research 5 x workshops Local people, community groups and third sector organisations In-depth interviews 35 x discussions Senior decision-makers across public and third sectors
6. 21st century enlightenment Ci#zen  Powered  
7. Citizen Power in action   Building  Recovery  Capital   Establishing  a  recovery  community  that  will  help  to  ini6ate,  support  and   sustain  recovery  from  substance  misuse     Area  Based  Curriculum   Peterborough  designing  their  own  curriculum,  connec6ng  what  young   people  learn  in  school  with  where  they  live  and  making  educa6on  a   community  issue     Change  Makers   Iden6fying  and  mobilising  the  key  individuals  who  are  driving  posi6ve   change  in  their  local  areas     Ci#zen  Power  in  Ac#on  
8. Arts and Social Change Exploring how creativity and arts can be used to build attachment, participation and innovation across three different levels: •  Community •  public service delivery •  leadership The programme operated as a framework for new ways of working and building engagement across the city.
9. Experiments in Place Making
10. Text  
11. How     How do we expose the gap between what we say we want and what we do that invites a willingness to change?
12. Curiosity Invitation Willingness
13. “Behaviours  ma.er  more  than  words.  If  local  authori8es   want  to  promote  deeper  more  generous  rela8onships   between  ci8zens  then  councils’  own  prac8ce  must  reflect   this.”   J.Birdwell, F.Farook, S. Jones; Trust in Practice DEMOS; 2010; http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/trustinpractice
14. creative practice as a methodology for exploring the issues of importance to themselves
15. Peterborough’s Innovation Forum
18. “It’s made us reflect on ourselves rather than running forward everyday as we always do.” Pat Carrington: Principal, Peterborough City College
19. Participants made commitments to working differently 19
21. INVITATION  
22. How  are  we  going  to  change  the  parent-­‐child   rela6onship  between  the  ci6zen  and  the  state?  
23. www.artsandsocietyuk.blogspot.co.uk/