Nearly half of those surveyed who participated in creative arts activities last year reported that it helped them meet people from different backgrounds.
Public believes creativity can promote community cohesion, study reveals
A new report from the think tank British Future reveals strong public support for the role of the arts in making connections across society.
Increased community involvement in arts and creativity can play an important role in promoting social cohesion, according to the findings of a new report.
Creating Connections from the think tank British Future reports that 72% of respondents agreed that “arts events can bring people of different backgrounds in Britain together,” while just 6% disagreed.
Additionally, 47% of those who participated in creative arts activities last year reported that it helped them meet people from different backgrounds.
Further findings included that 80% of Britons are interested in arts and creative activities, although only 53% participated in them in the past year.
The report, which was funded by the University of the Arts London, also features case studies of projects that highlight the important role the arts can play in community cohesion.
These include a street festival in Oldham that brought together settled residents and new arrivals from the Roma community, a Glasgow women’s choir that connected refugees and asylum seekers with local people, and the involvement of Ukrainian refugees and other migrant groups in Liverpool’s Eurovision 2023 celebrations.
Bridging divides
The report’s lead author, Jake Puddle, senior researcher for British Future, said: “Community arts projects can play an important role in bridging divides in our society.
“We should do more to encourage social mixing between people from different backgrounds, and our research finds that arts and creativity is a great way to bring people together.”
He added that the report’s findings show there’s “an untapped appetite among the public to be more creative. We should harness that with projects to break down barriers and prejudices in communities”.
British Future has called on the government to make arts and creativity “a key strand of a comprehensive national strategy on social cohesion”.
Polly Mackenzie, chief social purpose officer of University of the Arts London, said: “The Creating Connections report highlights how the arts can achieve what politics often struggles to do: break down barriers, foster empathy, and unite people.
“In a time when societal cohesion is increasingly fragile, the need for creative expression has never been more urgent.
“Now is the moment to embrace the growing public appetite for the arts and invest in their power to rebuild trust, celebrate our shared humanity and nurture thriving, connected communities.”
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