Conference: call for papers

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CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - Deadline 31 JULY 2008
Community, Health and the Arts
CONFERENCE 5-7 SEPTEMBER 2008

UNESCO OBSERVATORY
Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning
The University of Melbourne


Vital Arts – Vibrant Communities
Conference 5-7 September 2008

Today there is increasing awareness that the arts play a crucial role in improving the health and social wellbeing of communities. Over fifty years ago, the World Health Organisation proposed that health is not merely the absence of illness but a complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing dependent on a range of elements physical, psychological and social. We now know that cultural practice is significant among these factors. Whether we observe performing artists allied with youth workers to tackle homelessness, the rise of patient-focused architecture in public hospitals, or the use of arts education to promote health in schools, we see compelling evidence that the arts can have a considerable impact on social and institutional life.

As the therapeutic and transformative possibilities of arts programs continue to attract interest from practitioners in diverse fields, the importance of multi-disciplinary research and collaboration is increasingly apparent. The achievements of such partnerships can often go unrecognised or undocumented in research, policy and analysis.

The aims of this conference are:

To bring together people with shared interests in the arts in order to encourage activities that cross disciplinary divisions, to exchange knowledge and inspire creative partnerships;
To gather credible evidence about the contribution made by the arts to community health;
To develop approaches which embed the arts within health policy and planning.


*/CALL FOR PAPERS: Deadline 31 JULY 2008
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The UNESCO Observatory welcomes 15-minute papers that address the following themes:

Healthcare and social therapy: insights and observations gathered from arts programs in education, healthcare, community development, youth services, alternative health practice, disabilities and access.

Public space and the built environment: insights and observations gathered from design and architecture programs in hospitals, parks, community centres and other public spaces.

Cross cultural arts programs: contributions to indigenous arts, planning and health care. Observations and insights from community development in Asia and the Pacific.

Strategy and methodology: ideas for developing collaborations in multi-disciplinary research and programs. Strategies for developing networks, opportunities and support for artists working in the health sector. Insights on method for evaluating health-arts programs.

ABSTRACTS should be of 250 words for a 15-minute paper with a 200-word biography.

Forward submissions to the Conference Director:

Lindy Joubert, C/O Helen McNab
by Thursday 31 July 2008.

Further Information:

Helen McNab

T: +61 03 8344 9026 Monday to Wednesday 9:30 am – 3:00pm
F: +61 03 9503 0720 7 days, all hours
E: helenem@unimelb.edu.au


Public Art Research Online is the webpage of Ruth Fazakerley, an artist and researcher based in Adelaide, South Australia.

All text sourced from the Public Art Research Bulletin.