Arts and Kindness: The Theory

The arts have the capacity to change lives and communities. We are currently developing a paper that explores the relationship between the arts and kindness, defined here as a range of attitudes and behaviour from neighbourliness, concern for others, and a sense of belonging, to sharing, volunteering and civic participation. It is based on a review of key theories and studies in a number of fields including psychology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, economics and neuroscience. Uniquely, the paper identifies the processes that enable the arts to be potentially transformative. Written in association with the University of Kent, the paper aims to demonstrate the potential of the arts in growing caring communities, as well as identifying gaps in knowledge, practical learning and further areas to investigate. We hope to launch the paper in late Spring 2012.

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