A proposed methodology for evaluating arts-based peacebuilding

Arts interventions relating to peacebuilding and reconciliation have taken many forms and been deployed for different purposes in societies affected by conflict. Funders, researchers, artists and arts managers contend that the arts may provide an entry point for examining perceptions and attitudes about conflict, opening up dialogue between and within affected communities, humanising the ‘other’, transforming the basis of conflictual relationships between adversaries, and restoring voice to those who have been harmed. Whilst these aspirations are noteworthy, and anecdotal assertions about the effectiveness of the arts as a tool for peace are pervasive, rigorous evaluation and evidence of this impact and its sustainability are often lacking. Significant questions remain regarding precisely how, and to what extent, the arts effectively contribute to processes of peacebuilding and reconciliation. This paper proposes a methodology to analyse the impact of the arts in peacebuilding which takes into account the diversity of artistic interventions, the contexts in which they occur, subjective experiences and forces which shape their design and delivery.