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Informal arts: Finding cohesion, capacity and other cultural benefits in unexpected places

Artistic discipline: Theater, Visual Arts, Literature | Audience: Higher Education

INFORMAL ARTS: FINDING COHESION, CAPACITY AND OTHER CULTURAL BENEFITS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
A team of ethnographers from the Chicago Center for Arts Policy at Columbia College (CCAP) conducted a research study to investigate adult participation in the “informal arts” which encompasses such diverse experiences as acting in community theater, singing in a church choir, writing poetry at the local library, or painting portraits in a home studio. These “hands-on” activities tap people’s creative potential and expand our concept of artistic participation beyond the role of audience member.