Community Performance
"Where performance intersects with activism, community, and education."

The first essential point of definition is that community arts practice is based on the belief that cultural meaning, expression and creativity reside within a community, that the community artist's task is to assist people in freeing their imaginations and giving form to their creativity. This is in contrast to the establishment arts idea that only a lucky few—trained, professional artists—embody such abilities. It is also in contrast to the old-Left idea of proper cultural policy, a sort of "trickle-down" theory in which chamber musicians would play for factory workers who would thereby be inspired to take up violins and form their own symphony orchestras: high culture for the masses. The second essential point of definition is that collaboration between artists and others is central and necessary to the practice of community arts. This is in contrast to the establishment arts idea that nonartists' role is simply to form the audience for the work of professional artists; and also in contrast to the old-Left idea that socially conscious artists "speak for" the people who are incapable of speaking for themselves, channelling working peoples' rage and hope into proper artistic form. -- notes taken from Arlene Goldfarb on the Community Arts Website