Examples of celebratory arts projects

[Shonagh]

I am researching the topic 'celebratory arts as a tool for community cohesion', and I need examples of successful/innovative celebratory arts projects from around the world - does anyone have any contacts/suggestions?

[Mark Riva]

I'd love to see your definition of 'celebratory arts'

[Shonagh]

A fair question - its one of those fantastic terms that appear self-explanatory but are actually vague enough to be all encompassing!

For my purposes I am interested in projects that bring members of a community together (literally) to celebrate their local culture and heritage - e.g. festival, Mela.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts?

[Mark Riva]

The best example then would be festivals. As some of the biggest annual events, festivals bring people together on a large scale to celebrate the innumerable joys of community and culture. Complex productions involving the expertise of technical staff, the efforts of volunteers, and the backing of sponsors and supporters, festivals touch virtually everyone on some level and add an important dimension to our quality of life.

And what better way to accomplish this than with the arts? The arts are central to festivals as culture is to life. Art opens up vast vistas and fertile avenues for exploration and discovery that brings us into contact with the very best humanity has to offer, from the beauties of nature and the grandeur of the cosmos to the finest accomplishments of all the great cultures and civilizations of the world.

One good story is the Artbeat festival in Sommerville, Massachusetts, recently ranked among the hippest spots in the U.S. by The Hipster Handbook, and designated one of the most rock-and-roll towns in the US by Blender magazine.

Somerville. The beat goes on?

http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/top/features/documents/03106468.asp

"Once a hardscrabble city, Somerville has turned itself around, due in no small part to its thriving community of artists.

...Most folks credit local artists - and, on a larger scale, the visible integration of art into the community by the Somerville Arts Council (SAC), one of the state’s 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) - for helping to revitalize the city and improve its residents’ quality of life.

...Which makes Somerville a kind of local-arts-scene success story, a city in which the influence of art isn’t merely discernable, but recognized for helping improve the town’s very tenor."


I also suggest checking out The International Festivals and Events Association at http://www.ifea.com for further ideas.

Let me know how these work for you. Let's keep the conversation going.

-Mark

[Linda Frye Burnham]

For more ideas, look at the list of articles and links in our Art and Environment category in the Reading Room.

[Michael Sider]

Public Dreams Society in Vancouver, Canada is a successful producer of various celebratory, participatory events. They've been around for 15 years and they have inspired similar events in over 70 other communities across Canada (that they know of). Website: www.publicdreams.org

I've worked with Public Dreams in a few different roles over the past 2 years, and am fascinated with the impact that they have on the communities in which their events take place, as well as the arts communities in particular. The events are sheer magic. If you are ever on the west coast of Canada when an event is happening, make sure you come out.