The role that American orchestras play in community life has been steadily expanding over the last several decades. Fresh approaches to community involvement both in the musical offerings of in- and after-school programs as well as engaging traditionally underserved populations have paved the way as orchestras grow in their civic and social roles. This paper by Polly Kahn of the League of American Orchestras illuminates how orchestras are responding to changing demographics, helping people come together in ways that cut across their differences. Innovative participatory models show how

Hair Parties is a project of the Brooklyn-based and internationally recognized Urban Bush Women (UBW). The project uses a method of cultural sharing that alternates between dance performance and dialogue to explore how ongoing debates about the politics of hair within the African American community can lead to deeper dialogue about issues of race, class, and social justice. Hair Parties were held in homes, barber shops and beauty salons, YWCAs, corporations, and other community settings. As UBW sought to establish a home for the company in Brooklyn, Hair Parties became a vehicle

The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, based in Montreal and funding throughout Canada, supports what it calls socially engaged arts—arts organizations and activities that build bridges between culture and community—as a way to realize its vision of “a Canada where all people feel a sense of belonging and contribute as active citizens to improving the well-being of all.” The foundation’s most recent initiative focused on arts-based social inclusion owes much to what it learned from ArtsSmarts, an arts-infused learning program launched at

The Art at Work is a national initiative to improve municipal government through strategic art projects between artists, city departments, unions, elected officials and the community.  Launched in 2007 in Portland, ME, as a three-year project, the initiative includes artmaking workshops led by artist Marty Pottenger with local artists (currently a printmaker, poets, and photographers) within the city’s Public Works, Health & Human Services, and Police Departments. Art At Work's working hypothesis is that it is useful for people to make art about their work and lives, and

 Based on 13 years of national research on integrating arts and culture into concepts of healthy communities, Senior Research Associate with the Urban Institute Maria Rosario Jackson observes how sound and worthy community arts programs with social and civic intention are often saddled with unrealistic expectations about the impacts that they might have on a community and the ways in which such impacts might be proved. In this paper, Jackson argues for a shift toward more realistic expectations of social impact and evaluation of arts-based civic engagement both on the part of

This article is part of a series published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to show how cultural policies are planned and implemented in various UNESCO member states.

This article is part of a series published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to show how cultural policies are planned and implemented in various UNESCO member states.

This contract specified the following five major objectives to be dealt with during this study:

The elimination of conflicting schedules, a desire to correct inadequacies in community cultural life, the need for better physical facilities, and cooperative fundraising are the factors which historically have led to the formation of community councils. More recently, the creation of the National Endowment for the Arts in 1965 led to the formation of over 30 new state arts councils and, in turn, a large group of community councils in these states.

We have been asked to examine New York City's relationships with the public libraries, the cultural institutions which receive support from the City and the present Office of Cultural Affairs, which, in effect, includes the city's contributions to the performing arts. As part of this study, we were requested to make suggestions regarding budgetary matters in relation to the above activities as well as any legal changes necessary to assure a more efficient organization. The hope was also expressed that our Committee would make recommendations, not only regarding the present structure and