The European Sociological Association (ESA) Research Network Sociology of the Arts will hold its 11th midterm conference virtually (streamed from Helsinki, Finland) on the theme "The social effects of art: activism, advocacy and beyond".
The ESA-Arts 2021 conference focuses on the social function and effects of the arts, a defining problem for the discipline. Today many sociologists are busy tackling this issue, because governments and other art funders wish to know if their investments produce social or other external returns. Many types of impact and value assessment schemes have been developed for measurement, monitoring and ranking purposes. The intrinsic value of art is losing significance even in the field of cultural policy. At the same time, social and participatory practices have become popular within art itself, providing an attractive topic for sociological research.
Topics discussed will include but is not limited to socially engaged art; participatory art; community art; embedded art; crossover art; hybrid artistry; art, health and wellbeing; art in eldercare; art in youth work; artistic interventions in organizations; art and intercultural dialogue; art for social cohesion; art and social capital; art for social transformation; artist as a social worker; art and social radicalism; art for equality; art for social justice; art and social pedagogy; social ethics of artistic practice; social responsibility of art; skills requirements in social art; management of social and participatory art; measurement of social effects of art; social impact of participatory art; and quality and aesthetics of social and participatory art.
Call for papers: Passed
Price: 130 EUR (Early bird registration for non-ESA members); 80 EUR (Early bird registration for ESA members); 55 EUR (Freelancer artist registration). Registration is open here.