Building Capacity for Art-Based Social Work Research, Education, & Practice

Evidence suggests that art-based practices - illustrations, photography, poetry, dance, music, and performance - used as research methods offer insight that informs and improves practice with disenfranchised and minoritized groups. Art-based methodology surfaces untold narratives that both deconstruct and add to our knowledge of clients’ realities. Creative tensions raise fruitful dialogue that evoke diverse perspectives offering new ways for participants to give voice to their experiences and meaningfully engage researchers.

This workshop invites social workers to learn about art-based research and share experiences using it to guide inquiry, education, and practice. Artistic skills are not required! Brief didactic presentation, small group discussions, consultation, and debrief will be used in the workshop. Collectively, we will (1) define what we mean by “art�, (2) describe and demonstrate how art-forms and artifacts are used in the research process, (3) discuss how art-making is used for data collection, interpretation, and dissemination of findings, (4) consider how community-engaged art-based inquiry enhances beneficial collaborations with communities, and (5) engage in an experiential exercise that applies key principles for using art practices in research. Participants will be encouraged to experiment with art as a critical tool for social work practice, build and sharpen their research skills using myriad types of expressive modalities, and cull ideas to bring back to their respective settings and communities. We hope to promote the use of art-based research to better inform education and practice, especially with diverse populations and those experiencing circumstances that are often too difficult for words.