Social Impact of Creative Arts in Australian Communities

Dr Sandra Gattenhof is Associate Professor and Director of Research Training in the Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology. Sandra’s research engagements have established her as a leader in the in the field of arts and cultural evaluation as evidenced by commercial research contracts and the publication of 'Measuring Impact: Positioning Evaluation in the Australian Arts and Culture Landscape' (2017, Palgrave). Sandra is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council three-year grant investigating the social impact of the arts in Australian regional communities. Sandra is also a Drama Queensland Life Member awarded for Longstanding Contribution to the Drama Community.Dr Donna Hancox is an Associate Professor in the Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology. She is the co-leader of the Creative Placemaking for Social Impact Research Group and is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Councilthree-year grant investigating the social impact of the arts in Australian regional communities. Donna is an international leader in the field of creative community engagement and storytelling for social change. In 2017, she was awarded a Smithsonian Research Fellowship.Professor Helen Klaebe is Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Queensland and is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council grant investigating the social impact of the arts in Australian regional communities. For two decades, Helen has led research in participatory public history and social engagement using multi-artform storytelling strategies to engage communities, and also to evaluate the economic, cultural and audience impact of public art programs. Dr Sasha Mackay is an early career researcher in the Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology. Sasha’s professional background spans public service media and socially engaged arts in regional Australia, and her research explores the practices and impacts of co-created life storytelling and participatory arts projects for underserved cohorts and communities.

• 1 Introduction.- 2 Understanding social impact in the Australian context.- 3 Sidelined evaluation.- 4 Using theatre to stimulate difficult conversations in regional communities.- 5 Arts-based methodologies for fostering inclusion and understanding within diverse communities.- 6 Using dance to promote wellbeing and prosocial behaviours in early education settings.- 7 Collaborative design with communities for impact assessment.- 8 Co-creative art and meaningful community participation.- 9 Community engagement at a distance: testing digital methods during COVID-19 lockdown.- 10 Conclusion.