Acting in a community: Art and social cohesion in Indigenous Australia

Abstract

From page 117 - I begin with the premise that art is a way of acting in the world. Art is a way of expressing knowledge—a means of expressing the experience of being in the world and a means of communicating ideas and values. As a form of action, art can influence the world in innumerable ways. Art can be a means of political intervention and identity formation, it can help transform the environment in which people live and provide inspiration or comfort to individuals and communities by expressing emotions in aesthetically powerful ways. As a form of action, art requires a community—a community of speakers, of viewers, of actors—and helps build communities.