Survey: Mapping Socially Engaged Arts in Europe

Socially engaged arts bring artists and communities together to collaborate and address social, cultural and political issues through art. These practices foster dialogue, support connection, and spark positive social change, helping communities shape more equitable and cohesive futures.

The Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts is a philanthropic collaboratio among eleven European foundations, including the European Cultural Foundation, that invests in socially engaged arts across their respective geographical contexts. The Alliance champions the power of socially engaged artsto driveg positive social change and seeks to scale the resources, recognitio,n and visibility of this fieldtot a level that would not be possible independently. Its recent selection as one of UN Live’s Top 10 Culture for Impact initiatives affirms the significance of this work and highlights the growing recognition of socially engaged arts as a force for democratic resilience, social cohesion and community empowerment.

To advance this work, the Alliance has commissioned a major research project reviewing the ecosystem of socially engaged arts across the wider European space, defined for this study as the Council of Europe. The Field Società Cooperativa is conducting the research in collaboration with Fondazione Santagata per l’Economia della Cultural and KEA European Affairs. A public report will be published in 2026 and will deepen understanding of the challenges and needs faced by the field, increase its visibility within and beyond the arts sector and help shape future support and policies so that socially engaged arts can thrive.

At the centre of the mapping is a short online survey for organisations involved in socially engaged practice in any form. Terminology varies and may include community arts, participatory arts, civic arts, citizen arts or artivism. Many organisations do not use labels at all. For the purpose of this study, socially engaged arts is understood as creative work grounded in co creation, participation and collaboration.

The survey takes ten to fifteen minutes to complete. All respondents will be credited in the final report. The survey remains open until 16 January 2026, with network sharing encouraged before 7 January 2026.