the Voluntary Arts directory of
amateur art and craft forms

Introduction

The benefits of participating in the arts and crafts are so obvious to those who participate that they almost become invisible. But in these days of social, economic and environmental uncertainty, it is worth considering how the benefits of participation can help underpin a more sustainable way of living.

On an individual level, the enjoyment and pleasure gained from participating in arts and crafts activities creates an all-round sense of wellbeing and happiness, reduces stress and anxiety and even helps healing in times of ill health. Participation increases self-confidence and self-esteem and so improves people's personal lives and their ability to make social connections - friendship is a vital element of fulfilled and healthy living. All these factors are cited as good indicators of quality of life.

Engaging in social interaction through group arts activity is also important because it increases networking, co-operation and partnerships and enables individuals to gain new skills like team work, negotiation, communication and administration. As a result they become capable of setting up new activities and groups in the community - all of which contributes to local self-reliance and strengthens community co-operation.

Significantly too, the voluntary arts provide a means for people to share their cultures with others, thereby promoting harmony, understanding, tolerance and co-operation between different communities.

And voluntary arts activities can encourage sociability in areas where social connection has been eliminated by poverty, crime and mistrust - local arts groups enable people to become involved in community activities that are affordable, close to home, in a neutral and safe environment and appropriate to the backgrounds and aspirations of the participants.

Similarly, engagement in the voluntary arts plays an important role in celebrating and preserving local cultures, traditions, and heritage which helps to strengthen local identity. Residents who feel good about where they live are more likely to become involved in new community schemes including environmental improvements.

Participating in the arts involves creative and innovative thinking and responsible risk taking. Overcoming risks such as those associated with identity, ability and relationships creates confidence, flexibility and 'risk competence', attributes that enable people to deal with the uncertainties and challenges of the future. Creative citizens are more likely to recognise synergies, make innovative connections and use their knowledge and skills in ways that add cultural, social, political and economic value to their communities. Participation in the arts therefore helps to foster people's engagement in the wider civic process and to form and develop the sort of communities they want to stay in.

So, what is exciting now, as we search for new direction, is that many of the skills and gifts, artistic and otherwise, that are necessary for the shaping and creating of a new sustainable world are already present in our communities. Our task is to identify, develop and support these 'arts assets' and encourage ways to build connections between them that will multiply their power and effectiveness.

However, an essential key to the effectiveness of this process is to recognise that most voluntary artists do not work in isolation. They belong to an art or craft group. It is the social relationships that fuel local ‘associations’ and informal networks, and the skills, talents and solution finding abilities that these citizen's 'associations' hold, that will come to play a vital role in creating a sustainable future. Associations, less formal and much less dependent upon paid staff than formal institutions, are the very vehicles through which citizens can assemble to solve problems, share common interests and activities and create the glue that binds communities together.

This in turn creates a sense of empowerment and ownership of the development process, which strengthens people's confidence in their own capacities, inspires them to take action and enables them to shape and determine positive, and lasting, change. When this happens, people become confident that they can count on their neighbours and neighbourhood resources for support, and a sense of efficacy based on interdependence and strength develops.

Most communities harbour significant numbers of associations of various kinds, not least artistic and creative. However, the depth and extent of this associational life in any community has been vastly underestimated. This is particularly true of socially excluded communities. Informal groups - those that already exist as well as new ones that will emerge - will be indispensable aids in the creation of a sustainable future, and many of them could become full contributors to the development process.

Given the significance of the contribution of artistic activity to sustainable communities, and the role voluntary artists and arts groups could and will play in the big picture of the future of the planet, we must ensure that the voluntary arts are not overlooked by policy makers, funders, private or statutory agencies or the wider voluntary arts sector itself... indeed anyone concerned about the well being of individuals. In this way we can more certain of creating 'a better quality of life for everyone, now and into the future'.

Ginny Brink - Link Coordinator, Voluntary Arts Network