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Which murals are worth saving?
Murals were a cornerstone of the early community art movement. Between the 1960s and 1990s, hundreds were painted, mostly outdoors, and some – like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Battersea, the Easterhouse Mosaic in Glasgow, or The Battle of Cable Street in Shadwell – became well-known as symbols of political ideas and…
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Community opera in a pandemic
In February, I participated in the kick-off meeting of TRACTION, a Horizon 2020 project researching how digital technology can support community opera as a factor in social inclusion. About 30 of us travelled to San Sebastián from Dublin, Barcelona, Leiria, Amsterdam and Nottingham. It was the first, and so far, the only time we have…
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Clinging on in a tsunami: the arts and mental health
Since the beginning of 2020, the Baring Foundation has focused its arts support on the needs of people with metal health problems, after a decade of prioritising arts and older people. People in both groups – which of course are not mutually exclusive – have been deeply affected by the public health measures taken to combat the…
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Remote residencies: a paid opportunity for community artists in England
In the last post on this site, I wrote about the challenges that Covid-19 presents to anyone who makes community art, but I said then, because I know many of them, ‘I have complete confidence that solutions will be found, and that they will enrich the spectrum of our work‘. And now, as if by…
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An open letter about community art
Community art has proved its value over 50 years (and more) so its recognition in Arts Council England’s new strategy was both a vindication of the work and long overdue. Let’s Create was published just before the Covid-19 pandemic changed everything. Although it is far from over, it has already had devastating effects on people’s…
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François Matarasso 