2007/05/01 by Eleonora Belfiore, Oliver Bennett · 3 citations
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Art Education and Development #Artistic and Creative Research #Cultural Industries and Urban Development
paper · doi:10.1080/10286630701342741
openalex publication_date 2007/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The paper presents a critical discussion of the current debate over the social impacts of the arts in the UK. It argues that the accepted understanding of the terms of the debate is rooted in a number of assumptions and beliefs that are rarely questioned. The paper goes on to present the interim findings of a three‐year research project, which aims to rethink the social impact of the arts, with a view to determining how these impacts might be better understood. The desirability of a historical approach is articulated, and a classification of the claims made within the Western intellectual tradition for what the arts “do” to people is presented and discussed.