Artist Statement & Philosophy | What is Inclusive Arts Practice?
Victoria Martin Inclusive Arts Practice MA. 2021
“Art is too important not to share” Romero Britto
Artist Statement & Philosophy
Title: Supporting diverse societies through connections, collaborations, and interactions, using the medium of art and expression.
I am a Sussex-based, socially engaged artist, educator, researcher, and inclusive arts practitioner. The ideology central to my practice is equality, respect for diversity, and inclusion for all. I believe in demonstrating a liberalistic approach to learning and participation, with people at the heart of everything I do.
I facilitate and collaborate on process-led projects using the medium of art and expression, working with people from diverse and marginalised backgrounds. In particular, those experiencing social exclusion due to economic or health reasons.
Underpinning my practice
Central to my practice is Empowerment & Inclusion; It is my hope that by exploring the various ways we can use art to investigate social change, we may;
- Support the growth of communities.
- Create an inclusive environment where people can contribute equally.
- Nurture and build skills to improve connections and increase communication with others.
“The right to have rights, or the right of every individual to belong to humanity, should be guaranteed by humanity itself,” Hannah Arendt 1951
My philosophy is that everybody should be able to take part in the arts no matter their physical, mental, or artistic ability, and be able to express themselves freely within an inclusive environment, without prejudice. I feel by providing spaces and inclusive environments where equality is upheld and diversity encouraged, we can ensure each contributor feels respected, regardless of their differences or developmental needs.
I feel by exhibiting a humanistic perspective to each learning and collaborative opportunities, we can encourage the positive intrinsic value of producing art and participation, with an emphasis on personal growth for everyone involved in the exchange.
Predominantly, my work embraces the ‘leave no trace behind’ ethos, by using only organic materials found within the environment means once completed, the objects can positively contribute back to the landscape, over time everything used naturally decomposes back into nature. This tread lightly on the planet is an expression and an undertaking I feel strongly about, and the principles have been a common thread throughout my work.
Recent projects have involved working with groups experiencing learning and communication differences, including working with participants tackling language barriers due to international displacement.
These collaborations have indicated using organic matter such as clay provides opportunities for a rich exchange by permitting participants to build conversations about cultural heritage, further sanctioning the exploration of themes such as identity and belonging by recollecting how ancestors previously utilised the medium.
l have been inspired by many artists and cultural traditions during my journey; Social anthropologist Sarah Pink’s research helped to inform ways of effectively engaging with others using remote platforms, including a focus on visual anthropology and methodologies.
Joseph Beuys’ ‘7000 Oaks’ an interactive art piece inspired the power of participation. Richard Long influenced my view on what art could be by using the environment as a metaphorical canvas, and Antony Gormley’s ‘Field’ figures, made using the clay found within their maker’s environment, are credited as the motivator for using natural materials in my work. For me, these materials are personal and represent our identity, culture, the earth, our heritage, and geographical placement.
“He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” poem by William Yeats, the final sentence resonates; ‘tread softly because you tread on my dreams’ encompasses my view on the emotional journeys we take and physical footprints left as we pass through life. Furthermore, by consciously conserving the environment and valuing everyone, we can carefully work toward leaving no one behind.
For more information and project overview including the full text on findings please follow the link; victoriavioletmartin.wixsite.com/inclusiveartsuk
What is Inclusive Arts Practice?
Inclusive Art Practice is an all-inclusive emergent field of study which uses collaboration with others and heuristic pedagogic processes to support the creative outcomes between artists from all backgrounds and abilities. The practice itself centralises on working within marginalised sectors of the community where everyone can participate and explore their artistic voice. “…..believe everyone’s potential has been unrealised,…..the practice of participation is about unlocking that – the change of potential that happens, in all of us, when you’re involved together, making something” (Kelly, quoted in Fox and Macpherson, 2015:pg 62)
It is a dynamic and organic field of study which needs to continually evolve through each participation and collaboration with others. The conversations that happen alongside the experiences, help bring credibility and significance to the high-quality artwork and could go toward helping raise awareness and create a positive social change.
Participatory & Socially Engaged Art Arts Practice is a dialogue that informs research and engages with individuals and communities through art-based projects which can inform, educate, remind, challenge, and empower all those involved including future audiences, occasionally producing remarkable outcomes which at times can inaugurate passionate debates. Tim Joss has described the value of arts activity as being intrinsic and instrumental in delivering a broad range of benefits to society (Joss 2008 cited in Helguera 2011). It can overcome barriers to engagement and participation in the arts also helping raise awareness of the many contemporary issues affecting minority groups that may otherwise go unnoticed, therefore, creating opportunities for social change.
Furthermore, the personal transformative benefits can be tremendous for those taking part in these non-hierarchical collaborations, because each participant will bring their own set of unique experiences, skills, energy, and perspectives to the rest of the group, often contributing in entirely new ways, creating a mutually beneficial environment whereby everyone present can learn something new which can go a long way to enrich people’s lives and their communities (Helguera 2011).