[ecrea] Cultural Trends Call for Papers: Participation and Engagement in the Arts in Association with Cultural Trends

Call for Papers

Cultural Trends www.tandfonline.com/ccut

Since the government taking part survey started in 2006 statistics gathered suggest participation in the arts is low in comparison with European partners, and that social status and levels of education remain key factors in levels of engagement. However, despite policy makers setting targets to address this, these rates appear to steadfastly refuse to increase.

For the last year Leeds Metropolitan University, with the support of Arts Council England, have been coordinating a knowledge exchange network on participation and engagement in the arts. This has brought together academics, policy makers and practitioners to share research and debate issues, which has demonstrated divisions not only on the causes of this low engagement, but also on the significance of the findings themselves. Whilst some are actively investigating ways to engage a more diverse constituency others argue that the policy focus on participation is damaging artistic practice. At the same time there are claims that it is the formal definitions of the arts for which participation rates seem low, and that “everyday” cultural participation rates are significantly higher.

This conference aims to draw together current research and thinking to assess what relevance the participation and engagement agenda still has for the arts, the political and theoretical assumptions underpinning this agenda and the practical implementation of strategy on artists and audiences.

This call for papers invites academics and practitioners from the arts and community sectors to submit abstracts for consideration around any of the following sub themes:
• the value of participation and engagement in the arts; evidence, terminology and ideologies
• the role place and geography play in levels of engagement, including case studies
• the role of networks, including social, political and technological
• how issues of class, ethnicity, aesthetics and taste impact on the debate
• psychological levers and barriers to participation and engagement

Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words describing your research, along with a biog of no more than 100 words. All abstracts should consider the policy implications of the research and should be sent by email no later than Monday December 5th 2011 to: Leila Jancovich at (l.jancovich /at/ leedsmet.ac.uk) or to the journal’s editor, Sara Selwood at (sara /at/ saraselwood.co.uk) Conference selection will be announced by January 20th 2012. Draft papers for consideration by the journal must be submitted by September 2012 for publication in early 2013.

Read the Call for Papers online at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cfp/ccutcfp6.pdf



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