D8.1 - All Countries Report Arts & Sports as Resolution Media

UK/D8.1December 2023

Abstract

The framework for the D.Rad project, D8.1, titled ‘Arts and sports as resolution media as a preventive measure and inclusionary practice’, explores how participatory arts- and sports-related-engagement are important in connecting partakers’ everyday participation with others, and that the enjoyment of art and sport activity might be understood as the building blocks towards a more just and democratic society (Matarasso, 2019). Arts and sports themselves are often seen as opposites in terms of cultural activity – a person who is good at one is not supposed to be good at the other. While, as activities, they are often seen in this binary fashion, there are still certain links between the arts and sport that help to enhance social connections and promote cultural citizenship (Long & Sandle, 2019). This report, therefore, demonstrates the potential of arts and sports for partnerships that bring people from very different backgrounds together to make better and more resilient collective futures through (1) relationship building and (2) narrative sharing. The work package implements collaborative initiatives that have a well-documented history of enhancing life skills such as interpersonal communication, resilience, and conflict management skills.