Art, the Audience and Activism: How Can the Arts Bring About Real Change in the World?

Guest speaker: Marisa de Andrade, University of Edinburgh
Date: 5th April 2022, 9h30-11h
Venue: Room C247
Admission: Free

Abstract: How can hip-hop reduce inequalities? Dance tackle immigration? Comedy improve mental health in the Deaf community? Environmental art in green spaces change the way we think about what it means to be well?

In this interactive talk and workshop, we’ll be diving into the thinking behind Measuring Humanity and reflecting on the power of art to challenge policy makers and academics to reassess what counts as evidence when developing policies, practices, and recommendations.

In particular, we’ll be discussing a hip-hop video featuring rapping written using co-produced data from marginalised community members, health and voluntary sector practitioners, and researchers. Dear Human highlights the lived experiences of these communities and questions the nature of evidence in public health.

We’ll then apply this methodological and theoretical approach to art work. Please bring examples of (any form of) art if you’re creating your own art, or examples of artwork that you’re inspired by. 

Bio note: Dr Marisa de Andrade is an academic in health policy at the University of Edinburgh. She is Programme Director for the MSc by Research in Health Humanities and Arts; Programme Director for the PhD in Health in Social Science; Associate Director for the Centre for Creative-Relational Inquiry; and a Co-Director at the Binks Hub working with communities to co-produce a programme of research and knowledge exchange that promotes social justice, relational research methods and human flourishing. Marisa has led several traditional and community-based arts-informed public health studies. She is currently PI on an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) collaborative place-based grant putting the arts at the helm of strategic decision-making across multiple sectors including health and social care, employability, education and social justice. Her book Public Health, Humanities and Magical Realism: A Creative-Relational Approach to Researching Human Experience will be published in July 2022 by Routledge: Public Health, Humanities and Magical Realism: A Creative-Relational A (routledge.com)

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