In this booklet, we think of music quite broadly: yes, singing and playing instruments, but also experimenting with words and sounds, playing games, and moving to music. In these pages we explore what basic research, early childhood programs, and family experiences have to say about the importance of informal musical activities in the lives of children and families.
Literature Review on Cultural Equity in the Arts
In the US, discussions about diversity and cultural equity in the arts related to public policy date at least as far back as the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 1965. The emergence of the NEA raised pointed questions about the public or “social value” of art as opposed to its aesthetic or “intrinsic value.” The NEA ultimately attempted to balance these “populist” and “elitist” perspectives, with the understanding that “art for art’s sake has never been a sufficient rationale for public support of the arts” (Mulcahy & Wyzomirski, 1995). In fact, “old” ideas about art such as limiting audience participation to a passive role and a focus on art for art’s sake have come to be seen as a barrier to discovering the roles art and cultural activities can play in bringing diverse people together through an artistic process that reveals cultural assets and strengthens communities (Jackson, 2009). The term “cultural equity” appears as early as 1978 in an NEA audience study where it is defined as a right to be both a producer and consumer of culture.
While these terms and concepts have changed over time, discussions of diversity, cultural equity and inclusion in the field of arts and culture have not moved in a linear fashion. Language used to write and talk about those issues has changed, as have definitions of the “problem” to be “solved.” However, issues raised as early as 1965 and even earlier continue to be issues today.
Teaching Artist Training in Creative Aging: A National Survey
As a service to the emerging field of Creative Aging, Lifetime Arts conducted a national survey to investigate and disseminate a more complete picture of teaching artist training in the field.
Determinants, Effects, and Funding of Arts Consumption
Communication and Information Management in the Nonprofit Arts Sector
A survey of a representative sampling of arts organizations finds that their internal and external communication includes a variety of traditional and technological methods, each varying in its preferred usage and perceived effectiveness.
Understanding the value of arts & culture
This report presents the findings of the Cultural Value Project, one of the most in-depth attempts yet made to understand the value of the arts and culture – the difference that they make to individuals and to society. The three-year project, supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, has been looking into the question of why the arts and culture matter, and how we capture the effects that they have.
