The Art of Reconciliation: Do reconciliation-funded arts projects transform conflict?

据称，和解艺术（AfR）创作的作品反映、代表或回应多种形式的政治冲突，以鼓励冲突转化的方式。这一主张反映在对非洲资源增长的国际政治和财政支持上。我们质疑这种说法的有效性，不是因为它不真实，而是因为正如人权委员会文化价值报告所指出的那样，“对冲突后转型中的艺术和文化倡议的长期评估很少尝试过”。没有这样的“尝试”，我们将面临一系列问题。首先，AfR的各种结果没有得到充分的了解。AfR有可能复制冲突的分裂。或者，它可以促进愈合、见证证词和社区间参与的过程。它可以是变革性的，并在冲突社区之间刺激积极的关系变化。如果我们不研究这些不同的形式和结果，那么AfR将不具备充分理解如何实现积极的和解结果所需的定义稳健性。其次，我们没有适当的评估形式来衡量AfR如何实现摆脱和远离冲突的转变。评价常常与听众的反应联系在一起，而不是更深入和更有根据的技术来衡量冲突社区之间的积极关系变化。第三，我们不知道资助实践、社区反应和艺术的管理和生产如何影响AfR的景观。第四，如果没有强大的技术和扎实的研究，AfR的价值就无法充分传播。最后，当我们将艺术定位为冲突转化时，它通常是不可转移的。更好地生产有关非洲森林资源的知识将有助于更广泛地传播。为了解决这些问题，我们将开发一个合作的研究项目，将其方法建立在与资助者、政策制定者、艺术经理、艺术家和参与AfR的社区的互动基础上。通过对资助的AfR的重点研究，我们的研究项目旨在：确定AfR计划是否会或可能会影响有意义的冲突转化；2 .在艺术界之外分享关于艺术作为冲突反应的证据，并将其价值传达给那些目前不了解的人；3 .发展通过更好的评价、审计和表述实现变革性非洲资源评估的方法；4 .建立一种评估机制，促进参与设计和交付这项工作的所有部门更深入地了解AfR内部实际发生的情况；5 .制定传播策略，分享有关创造性艺术参与和互动的信息，以应对冲突并旨在实现有意义的和解；促进有效的知识，突出艺术作为冲突转变促进者的价值。知识转移不仅对发展社会科学和艺术/人文学科的参与很重要，而且对发展和展示艺术如何在更广泛的冲突转变过程中发挥作用也很重要。学术界和实践团体（即资助者、政策制定者、艺术家和艺术管理者以及社区支持专业人员）目前的框架、类型学和方法并不总是反映或充分评估变革成果。最终，我们寻求以能够对资助者、实践社区和公众的工作产生直接、有意义和有目的的影响的方式来实现这些目标。该项目将讨论社区如何应对冲突，并努力更好地解释、理解和欣赏他们遭受伤害和不公正的生活经历如何为这种应对提供信息。参与不同类型和解项目的团体将使用传播战略来维持和发展改变冲突的活动。

It is claimed that Art for Reconciliation (AfR) produces work that reflects, represents, or responds to multiple forms of political conflict in ways that encourage conflict transformation. This claim is reflected in international political and financial support for the growth in AfR. We question the validity of this claim - not because it is untrue, but because as noted in the AHRC Cultural Value report, "long-term evaluations of arts and cultural initiatives in post-conflict transformation have rarely if ever been attempted". Without such an 'attempt' we face a series of problems. Firstly, the various outcomes of AfR are not adequately understood. AfR can potentially replicate the divisions of conflict. Or, it can enable processes of healing, witness testimony and inter-community engagement. It can be transformational and stimulate positive relational change between communities in conflict. If we do not research these differing forms and outcomes then AfR will not possess the definitional robustness required to adequately understand how positive reconciliatory outcomes can be realized. Secondly, we do not possess proper evaluative forms which measure how AfR achieves a shift out of and away from conflict. Evaluations are often tied to audience reaction as opposed to more in-depth and grounded techniques that measure positive relational change between communities in conflict. Thirdly, we do not know how funding practice, community response and the management and production of art affect the landscape of AfR. Fourthly, without robust techniques and grounded research the value of AfR cannot be adequately disseminated. Finally, when we locate art as conflict transformation it is generally non-transferrable. Better knowledge production concerning AfR will aid wider dissemination. In solving these problems we will develop a co-produced research project that grounds its methods in interaction with funders, policy makers, arts managers, artists and communities engaging in AfR. Through a focused study of funded AfR our research project aims to:1. Determine if AfR initiatives do, or possibly could, affect meaningful conflict transformation;2. Share evidence regarding art as conflict response beyond the arts community and communicate its value to those who are currently unaware;3. Develop ways in which transformative AfR can be achieved through better evaluation, auditing and articulation;4. Create an evaluation mechanism that promotes deeper understanding of what is actually taking place within AfR to all sectors involved in designing and delivering this work;5. Develop a dissemination strategy to share information about creative arts engagements and interactions which respond to conflict and aim for meaningful reconciliation;6. Contribute to effective knowledge that highlights the value of art as a facilitator of conflict transformation.Knowledge transfer is important not only to develop social science and arts/humanities engagement, but to develop and show how art may play a role in broader conflict transformation processes. Current frameworks, typologies and methodologies, both in academia and amongst communities of practice (i.e. funders, policymakers, artists and arts managers, and community support professionals) do not always reflect or adequately evaluate transformative outcomes. Ultimately, we seek to address these aims in ways that can have direct, meaningful and purposeful impact on the work of funders, communities of practice and the public. The project will speak to how communities respond to conflict and work to better explain, understand and appreciate how their lived experiences of harm and injustice, inform that response. The dissemination strategy will be used by groups involved in different types of reconciliation projects to sustain and develop conflict transformation activity.