Politics, Identity and a Career in Arts and Health
Abstract
The routes by which artists arrive at and pursue careers in arts and health, as indeed in any field, will each be unique and will each uniquely influence an artist’s practice and the impact of that practice upon audience and participants; and yet this critical topic has not been substantially addressed in the growing literature on the arts and health field. An autoethnographic approach enables the author to trace and relate his personal identity and actions to some of the significant political events of the times immediately preceding and following his conception, before analysing how these events led to an interplay of identity and politics that has moulded his own practice and career in arts and health. To artists working in the social domain such an autobiographical approach offers a model for a wider and deeper reflective practice, whilst opening - to audience, participants and commissioners alike - routes to deeper understanding of the artistic experience and processes with their uniquely shaped and shaping contexts, and to the consideration of a range of tailored support, mentoring and intervention mechanisms that will sustain and enrich the consequent value of these artistic experiences and processes as catalysts for cultural engagement and development.Downloads
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