Press Release: How Creative Arts in Research offers Hope for Community Change

PRESS RELEASE

Contact:

C.L. McLean, Publisher

International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice

CherylMcLean@ijcaip.com

___________________________________________________________________________

Just released, New Book Offers Compelling Evidence.. Arts in Action Impacts Communities

How Creative Arts in Research offers Hope for Community Change

October, 2011, London, Ontario Canada

A new book offers evidence that the arts can transform communities and impact change. “Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change” published by Detselig Enterprises, Calgary, is the second book in the CAIP (Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice) Research Series, a project of The International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice (IJCAIP). The book is edited by Cheryl McLean, Publisher of IJCAIP, and associate editor, Robert Kelly, University of Calgary.

“This is fundamentally a book about the arts in action and practice for hope and citizen empowerment, about research and people coming together to creatively address the most critical challenges of our times, says Cheryl McLean, Editor of the CAIP series.

The book shows how researchers and communities work together in interdisciplinary projects to ignite change and address the most fundamental of human needs, the need for healthy communities with water to drink and air to breathe, the need for human expression and connection, the desire to be accepted and acknowledged as a human being of value and to voice personal stories for public witness.

The book features contributors across disciplines, among them leaders on the cutting edge in arts and educational research for change. Jan Selman, Professor and Chair of the Department of Drama, University of Alberta, was principal investigator on the project “Are We there Yet?” a six year research program involving an interdisciplinary team who created a participatory play out of a sense of urgency about the need for effective sexuality education for teens. Selman writes, “We believe creating art about our world makes a difference as art seeks to teach people at their core. … We believe that to be meaningful, education must be deeply relevant to its participants, we must immerse ourselves in our audience's world and strive to create art which will teach specific audiences as deeply as possible.”

The book offers an “up close” look at projects in action through both text and photographs as researchers demonstrate methods and approaches. Dr. B. Stephen Carpenter II, a Professor of Art Education at Penn State University, worked with ceramic artists, community workers and engineers to help find solutions to the critical need for clean potable water. He writes, “With a focus on the creation of point of use ceramic water filters as one of the key aspects of the project, the members of the group take direct action within the global struggle against the potable water crisis by seeking to assist communities and find viable ways to provide households with potable water.”

In addition to informative descriptions of methodology and research the illustrative stories featured in the book and examples themselves offer revealing insights into the day to day lives of those who live on the margins, those whose stories are seldom heard. In the article, Four Poems for Four Lives A Study of Four Ex-Prisoners Through Poetic Inquiry, Liz Day and John J. Guiney Yallop offer glimpses into the lived realities of four male ex-prisoners. “We begin this chapter by introducing the reader to four men who have lived some of their lives in prisons – as prisoners. They are now ex-prisoners, each attempting to find or re-find, to create or recreate, lives outside prison. We present the four men, the participants in this study, through poetry, in the hope that the emotional language of poetry will enable us, the authors, to convey the lived experiences those four men allowed us into. This study is not intended to be generalizable to most, or even any other, male ex-prisoners. We believe, however, that all human experience is of value and that all human experience has something to teach us.”

In the last article, a community of women, street workers, share stories and images of survival on the perilous streets of the inner city. Moshoula Capous-Desyllas, a researcher teaching at the School of Social Work at Portland State, explains how creative and participatory research, particularly with marginalized groups, can lead to change and affect practice. “ The images and voices of sex workers in this study hold several implications for social work practice, policy and research. The social work profession has a history of not taking into account the voices of sex workers when creating programs to meet their needs. From a practice perspective, the use of photography allows sex workers to identify and creatively represent their needs and aspirations, thus informing social service design and delivery.”

The book “Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change” will be of special interest to university based educators; artists and researchers; facilitators; practitioners; educators in the social sciences; social work and social justice advocates; activists, community change agents; heritage and cultural workers; urban planners; healthcare professionals; public health educators; fundraisers and many others.

For more information or to order this book visit http://www.ijcaip.com

order directly online at this website. See rt. sidebar.

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Collage from October 15

"Living Signage"
C. McLean
collage from photos taken during October 15, Occupy Toronto protest

Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change

First look at the book "Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change", cover by designer James Dangerous, Detselig
Enterprises.

"Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change" is the second book in the CAIP Research Series and features illustrative articles describing the creative arts in research and practice within neighbourhoods, villages and cities for community and cultural change. We expect many will be transformed by what they witness through these accounts and a few might be inspired to take action launching new initiatives and igniting change for the betterment of communities, for the life of our cities and those who call them home. In these times of desperate need and ongoing unrest internationally, this research collection, featuring leaders across disciplines is a valuable source of information as well as a call for creative new approaches in contemporary research leading to action and change.”

The articles in this book will be of special interest to university based educators; artists and researchers; facilitators; practitioners; educators in the social sciences; social work and social justice professionals; activists and community change agents; heritage, cultural and urban planners; healthcare professionals and public health educators; fundraisers and many others.

Creative Arts for Community and Cultural Change is a research book that provides first hand insights into evolving and participatory processes unique to the creative arts in interdisciplinary practice (CAIP) as well as a wealth of information and examples for relevant in-depth dialogue and debate.

COMING SOON!

Introducting Editors CAIP Research Series

Editor

Cheryl McLean MA is an independent scholar and educator and Founder, Publisher and Executive Editor of The International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice IJCAIP and Editor of The CAIP Research Series and books, "Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice Inquiries for Hope and Change" (August 2010) and "Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change" (for release October 2011) Associate Editor, Dr. Robert Kelly, University of Calgary, Published by Detselig Enterprises Inc., Calgary, Alberta).

Cheryl McLean has a background in journalism, social science, community education and arts and mental health. (BA, Social Science, University of Western Ontario, London) (MA , Faculty of Fine Art, CAT, Concordia University, Montreal). As an actor and while doing graduate work she also studied in projects for two years (Stanislavski,realism) under the mentorship of Dr. Muriel Gold, formerly the Artistic Director of the Saidye Bronfman Theatre, Montreal. Her research and group therapy work took place with low income seniors in an "over 60 community mental health programme" at Maimonides Jewish Geriatric Hospital and the Rene Cassin Institute of Social Gerontology. She wrote and performed the "ethnodrama" "Remember Me for Birds" based on data gathered in research and true stories (a number of her clients were Holocaust survivors) and toured the educational performance raising awareness about aging, mental health and autonomy in keynote solo presentations for national conferences, universities and medical schools in Canada and the U.S. The work was produced as an educational film in 2006.



An agent of change and longtime arts advocate, as publisher of IJCAIP and Editor of the CAIP Research Series, Cheryl McLean continues to publish new research in the creative arts in interdisciplinary practice and has presented to audiences across Canada contributing to education and knowledge in the emerging international field raising awareness about the vital role the arts have to play for hope and change in communities worldwide. She has taught the course "Creative Responses to Death and Bereavement" at The University of Western Ontario, London and facilitates creative arts for community change workshops for health professionals and others across disciplines at The Windermere Manor (UWO), London. She continues to be an active member of the London arts community with special interests in writing, acting and contemporary theatre.
She is currently researching and writing the third volume in the CAIP research series, VOICE, Transforming cities through citizen stories and the arts in action
CherylMcLean@ijcaip.com

Associate Editor




Robert Kelly Ph.D., Associate Editor CAIP Research series is a leader in Canada in creativity in practice, an artist and educator as well as an author writing about creativity processes in action. Robert Kelly is an associate professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts, and an adjunct associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary where he teaches creativity theory and practice, studio art and curriculum theory and design. Robert’s research is focused on the concept of creativity and its applications for educational practice. Of particular research interest is the nature of idea generation and the development of supporting environments and practice. His recent book Creative Expression, Creative Education (co-edited with Carl Leggo, University of British Columbia) presents the case for creativity as a primary rationale for education. His new book "Educating for Creativity" will be released December 2011.

His creativity research, through his Creativity Education Project, extends to the development of courses on creativity and educational practice and personal creative development for graduate and undergraduate students and the general public.

Robert received his undergraduate training in education at the University of Western Ontario followed by master’s graduate work in art education at the University of Victoria and doctoral work in education at the University of Calgary.

Robert Kelly has been a featured keynote speaker at lectures and workshops across Canada speaking on creativity theory and practice across disciplines.Visit Robert Kelly's website

New book to be released in Fall 2011

Coming Soon!

To be released Fall 2011!

From the book Introduction:

The book "Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change" Editor, Cheryl McLean, Associate Editor, Dr. Robert Kelly, University of Calgary, published by Detselig Enterprises Ltd., Calgary, is a project of The International Journal of the Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice, IJCAIP. Publishing activities at IJCAIP have contributed significantly to propagating a new and fertile knowledge base for research and information about the creative arts in interdisciplinary practice for community change. In the first book in the CAIP Series, “Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice, Inquiries for Hope and Change”, released August 2010, it was our intention to show, by way of example, the considerable breadth and scope of the research. The book was a varied and multifaceted collection of creative research in action, an accessible academic text that introduced readers to new inquiries and processes while offering first hand insights into approaches.

“Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change”, the second text in the series, takes a global perspective featuring projects that have used the creative arts applied in research for community and cultural change. The articles in this second volume have been divided into four thematically related sections:

Community Action and Education through Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice; Images for Witness, Community Action in Disability and Health; Arts Exploring Immigrant Experience and Cultural Identities; Human Stories “from the outside in” for Community and Cultural Change.

Many of the researchers, artists, educators, participants and community members you will read about in these accounts strive for change by joining together in interdisciplinary projects to address the most fundamental of human needs, the need for a healthy and safe communities with water to drink and air to breathe, the need for human expression and connection, the desire to be accepted and acknowledged as a human being of value and to voice their personal stories for witness whether it is from a stage, a study circle, a kitchen table or to be experienced in the photographs of a community of women, street workers, recording their stories of survival on the perilous streets of the inner city.

There is hope for change within these pages as we learn about the day to day lives of those who live on the margins, those whose stories are seldom heard. As Liz Day and John J. Guiney Yallop express so eloquently in the article, Four Poems for Four Lives, A Study of Four Ex-prisoners through Poetic Inquiry, “We believe that all human experience is of value and that all human experience has something to teach us.” For me, this statement became a touchstone, at times guiding the editing journey, an underlying theme I often referred to in the shaping of this volume.

Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change is fundamentally a book about the arts in action and practice, about people and communities making a difference through arts processes and democratic change. It may be true that we are shaped by culture and yet as is clearly evidenced by the articles in this book culture itself can be artfully shaped and re/formed within communities by the hands of the people who daily transform it.

We hope you will learn from these articles, we expect many will be transformed by what they witness through these accounts and a few might be inspired to take action themselves launching new initiatives and igniting change for the betterment of places, for the life of our cities and all who call them home and because they believe in the arts and all that communities, in action, together, can accomplish.

Our journey continues.

Cheryl McLean, Editor

A book illustrating the arts in action for change

from book Introduction, "Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change"

C. McLean

Culture at its best can be an enriching bond, grounding groups socially around the historical character of people and place, rooting peoples around the distinctive and often inherited preferences that create the comforts of identity, the particularities of home, the communal fulfillment of a place living and functioning at its most enriched best. And yet, culture can turn home into an unwelcome place, ties into the bonds of bondage, culture closing in on itself to protect the standards it has invented and preserved, a restrictive and resistant imprisoning notion, a place of unreasonable expectation and intolerant conformity… a verdict rather than an opportunity for connection and a rich, diverse and socially cohesive life for all its citizens.

The arts offer their emancipatory potential as they work ..with, in and through communities to help raise awareness about the lives of all our citizens and open minds to the possibilities of change. I have personally experienced the embodied and transformative impact of the arts for social change. In my graduate research at Concordia University, Montreal, I worked as a group therapist with older persons in residential housing in an Over 60 mental health programme for two years. I wrote an ethnodrama script, “Remember Me for Birds” based on data gathered in sessions and client stories and narratives and performed this research as a solo actor at universities and national conferences. My goal was to reflect the culture in a provocative script grounded in real life happenings in order to create a performance that might raise awareness about issues compromising individual freedom and autonomy for older persons living in low income supportive living housing.

One audience member who worked with older clients at the centre as an elder abuse researcher reflected in his feedback what he experienced as a cultural reality and an attitudinal shift.

“There is a paternalism with regard to “the elderly”. This often results in their autonomy being assumed to be less than it is or taken away against their will. I learned I am inappropriately detached from people. I came. I attended because I was curious and I am glad I came. I learned about others but it (the performance) taught me about myself.”

The book , Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change is an ambitious publishing project which has been launched by *The International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice IJCAIP, and is the second text in Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice (CAIP) Research Series, Editor, Cheryl McLean, Associate Editor, Robert Kelly, to be published by Detselig Temeron Press, Calgary. The first volume illustrated the considerable breadth and scope of the research in this new and emerging field. Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change features informative and thought provoking articles describing applications of the creative arts in research within neighborhoods, villages and cities integrated in distinctive ways to help investigate, explore, articulate and communicate research findings while working actively within and beyond borders to foster community and cultural change. In this action oriented collection qualitative research and community based and participatory methods play a major role as well as other experiential approaches.

The articles in this volume have been divided into four thematically related sections:

Community Action and Education through Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice; Images for Witness, Community Action in Disability and Health; Arts Exploring Immigrant Experience and Cultural Identities;

Human Stories “from the outside in” for Community and Cultural Change.

Many of the researchers, artists, educators, participants and community members you will read about in these accounts strive for change by seeking to address the most fundamental of human needs, the need for a healthy and safe community with water to drink and air to breathe, the need for human expression and connection, the desire to be accepted and acknowledged as a human being of value and to voice their personal stories for witness whether it is from a stage, a study circle, a public demonstration, at a kitchen table, from inside a prison cell or to be experienced in the photographs of a community of women, street workers, recording the stories of their lives and dreams, on the perilous streets of the inner city.

Jan Selman, Professor, Department of Drama, University of Alberta, was the lead researcher on the project “Are We There Yet” a participatory play created by artists and health educators out of a sense of urgency about the need for more effective sexuality education for teens. The play was adapted, produced and evaluated in several Canadian centres. She writes about the power of performance in work for social change:

“In creating and using art for change, activist artists bring their aesthetic taste and expertise as well as their social and educational agenda to their projects. We believe that creating art about our world makes a difference as art seeks to touch people at their core.”

Other contributors express a similar sentiment and attest to the value of sharing and learning from human experience. In the article, “Four Poems for Four Lives, A Study of Four Ex-Prisoners through Poetic Inquiry”, Liz Day and John J. Guiney Yallop write, “We believe that all human experience is of value and that all human experience has something to teach us.”

In a photograph with a quote featured in this book by artist, "Merry Mag", a sex worker living and working in Portland Oregon, and a participant in a photovoice project led by Moushoula Capous- Desyllas, a social work educator at Portland State University, "Merry Mag" expresses an appeal for understanding. An image can been seen of a woman kneeling in front of a headstone, head lowered. She is blindfolded, her mouth taped, hands bound.

“It is a tribute to them (murdered sex workers) in honour of their memory and of my pain. When I look at this image of the tape over my mouth it’s like I couldn’t talk about it. I had to just go out there and turn tricks after finding out that my friends had just died.”

In this contemporary collection, we present compelling evidence that the arts not only matter today, but are essential for the very survival of our communities and the healthy future of all of our citizens. We also share in these accounts research and stories that show how the arts are empowering communities to act as they seek to discover creative solutions to address critical social challenges. The arts in action can uniquely provide expressive opportunities for individuals to communicate and transfer knowledge beyond borders, igniting communities in common purpose while offering creative ways for the marginalized to express their stories. The arts can reach out to our communities and open minds to truth and hearts to understanding. Here, in the many research accounts in this book, in what these stories teach us, you will find evidence for change. In each inspiring story of the arts in action hope lives and the creative opportunity for societal and cultural transformation can begin.