Cultural Trends Call for Papers: Participation and Engagement in the Arts in Association with Cultural Trends‏

[Cécile W]

Call for Papers

Cultural Trends www.tandfonline.com/ccut

Since the government taking part survey started in 2006 statistics gathered
suggest participation in the arts is low in comparison with European
partners, and that social status and levels of education remain key factors
in levels of engagement. However, despite policy makers setting targets to
address this, these rates appear to steadfastly refuse to increase.

For the last year Leeds Metropolitan University, with the support of Arts
Council England, have been coordinating a knowledge exchange network on
participation and engagement in the arts. This has brought together
academics, policy makers and practitioners to share research and debate
issues, which has demonstrated divisions not only on the causes of this low
engagement, but also on the significance of the findings themselves. Whilst
some are actively investigating ways to engage a more diverse constituency
others argue that the policy focus on participation is damaging artistic
practice. At the same time there are claims that it is the formal
definitions of the arts for which participation rates seem low, and that
“everyday” cultural participation rates are significantly higher.

This conference aims to draw together current research and thinking to
assess what relevance the participation and engagement agenda still has for
the arts, the political and theoretical assumptions underpinning this agenda
and the practical implementation of strategy on artists and audiences.

This call for papers invites academics and practitioners from the arts and
community sectors to submit abstracts for consideration around any of the
following sub themes:
• the value of participation and engagement in the arts; evidence,
terminology and ideologies
• the role place and geography play in levels of engagement, including case
studies
• the role of networks, including social, political and technological
• how issues of class, ethnicity, aesthetics and taste impact on the debate
• psychological levers and barriers to participation and engagement

Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words describing your
research, along with a biog of no more than 100 words. All abstracts should
consider the policy implications of the research and should be sent by email
no later than Monday December 5th 2011 to: Leila Jancovich at
l.jancovich@leedsmet.ac.uk or to the journal’s editor, Sara Selwood at
sara@saraselwood.co.uk Conference selection will be announced by January
20th 2012. Draft papers for consideration by the journal must be submitted
by September 2012 for publication in early 2013.

Read the Call for Papers online at http://www.tandf.co.uk/**
journals/cfp/ccutcfp6.pdf <http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cfp/ccutcfp6.pdf>