by Jenifer Milner

"… the arts at their best in our society complement and mutually celebrate community and connectedness." - Walter Pitman, Learning the Arts, 1999

The word community, in its simplest sense, implies people with something in common. At the close of this century, we use this word to describe cyberpals, economic allies, even the global population. But no matter how broad or narrow the definition, community originates with people.

The interweaving of lives that creates towns, cities, and regions is under pressure in many places. Consider the impact of these seismic shifts in society: mobility and immigration, free trade, nontraditional families, workplace transition, new technologies, to name just a few. When change radically affects people's lives, both individually and collectively, it transforms communities, too. As traditional anchors of life lose their stability, people want more opportunities to connect and to experience community. Arts and culture provides these opportunities.

The human exchange
Through cultural events and experiences, individuals connect with the community of humanity. People - creators, interpreters, and producers of arts and culture - "share their personal visions"1 with others through their work, with the aim of stimulating a response. These works also provide people with a sense of connection to the past and to the unchanging nature of humanity. Artists through the ages have formed questions, comments, and concerns about the human condition. And modern artists continue perplexing, enriching, and influencing people through their work. Why? Because "the essence of art"2 is in its communication with people.

Community through art
Arts and culture also provides a "connective tissue...in our everyday lives."3 Some artists and arts organizations, such as community arts councils, focus on developing that connective tissue through community-based art. In his address to the Assembly of British Columbia Arts Councils' 1996 Conference on Community Cultural Development, speaker Peter Sellars described it this way: "What does it mean to make art and to make conversation, not to people, not about people, but with people? With is our task in this century - inclusion, collaboration, working together...." 4 BC's community-based organizations provide many arts opportunities for citizens. Artists and Communities 1997-1999, a recent pilot program managed by the Assembly, exemplifies the inclusive approach. During a two-year period, this program supported five community-based collaborations around BC, including a community play featuring more than 800 participants from the town of Enderby.

Hungry to participate
Cultural offerings and collaborative arts projects fill voids in communities. But Ann Mortifee, chair of British Columbia Arts Council, points to an emerging model for arts and culture in communities: a whole scale "revitalization paradigm."5 Mortifee says, "There is a hunger for community, a hunger for creative gatherings, a hunger to perform ... The result is a grassroots spiritual resurgence not unlike the ecological movement."6

Involved citizens
How do communities benefit when people establish a sense of connectedness and community through arts and culture? By having engaged and involved citizens. "Arts and culture create the potential for generating a sense of belonging and a commitment to working together to build a better future."

Jenifer Milner directs communications for the International Council on Active Aging. Since 1992, Jenifer has worked in Vancouver’s arts and cultural sector, most recently as communications manager with the Greater Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture for almost five years.

1. Creative Connections: Arts and Culture in British Columbia Communities. Union of British Columbia Municipalities, 1997.
2. Phillip Kotler & Joanne Scheff. Standing Room Only. Harvard Business School Press, 1997.
3. Arts and Community: A Discussion Paper. Canadian Conference of the Arts, June 1999.
4. Ibid.
5. News. British Columbia Arts Council. Spring, 1999.
6. Ibid.
7. Creative Connections. Op cit.

Last Updated: Tuesday, August 24, 2004