Research

The key research questions this project will ask are thus as follows:

1. What role can grassroots arts play in different types and stages of war?
2. Based on these insights, under what conditions can the creative arts and peace formation processes be best integrated with each other?
3. How can we measure and understand the extent to which grassroots creative arts projects help external or internal norms of peace to be adopted on a broader social level, or do they highlight local norms?

To address these questions, we have identified four principal objectives:

• To develop a deeper understanding of the multiple ways the arts can support processes of peace formation in different conflict contexts and different conflict stages.
• To facilitate meaningful and productive working relationships, inspired by a reflective and ethically sound form of cooperation – a community of practice – between artists, peace builders, policy-makers, communities, donors and audiences
• To investigate ways of assessing arts-based peacebuilding and develop and disseminate new evaluation frameworks, developed in cooperation with our project partners and local artists.
• To advance understanding of the role of community devised and led arts projects in peacebuilding.

In order to create an impactful and insightful project, we are working with a range of community grassroots partners in each country – from hip-hop artists in Colombia to forum theatre artists in DR Congo. This section provides more information about the partners involved.