Raphael Vella

How important is the “public” in contemporary works of art? Should we expect artists to communicate with or educate their audience? Whenever the public is brought up in debates about funding for the arts, the selection of appropriate memorials for urban spaces or art education, discussions often focus on the “difficulty” or élitism of avant-garde art and the need to transform art into an instrument of cultural stability and understanding. This paper deals with some prominent cases that have dealt with these issues in the last quarter of a century, and argues that Jean-François Lyotard’s thought provides us with a valid defence of avant-garde experimentation in the arts. The last part of the paper argues that the various calls for public relevance often oversimplify the notion of the “public” by not taking into account the heterogeneous nature of postmodern societies.

This article studies the viability and significance of artsbased methods in the context of educational research at the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta. It contextualises the field in its cultural and institutional settings, describing some of the challenges that arts-based methods of research have faced. It compares these creative methodologies to more empirical research methods that are generally associated with the field of education, illustrating the innovative combination of the role of the artist with that of the educational researcher by referring to two arts-based dissertations submitted by Masters students at the Faculty of Education. Finally, it argues that the value of arts-based educational research is located in its attachment to the actual experience of making art and the transformative capacities and specificity of art itself.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is one of the most severe health challenges that affect the lives of an increasingly large number of people in the World. Lack of information, stigma, and marginalization of people with HIV are serious challenges that prevent early diagnostic of HIV infections and timely interventions that can improve the conditions of the affected people and the transmission of HIV. The existing body of research provides some evidence about the potential of socially engaged arts to expand knowledge, influence attitudes and empower participants to regularly take tests and visitors to understand and accept people affected by HIV. However, studies in this domain are scant and usually conducted in the areas with the highest prevalence of the HIV epidemic. Due to the limited evidence and the need to examine the potential of socially engaged arts in empowering people with HIV, this study examined and presented the initial results from an experimental theatre production focusing on participatory design and co-creation by applying a mixed method research design. A set of structured interviews with the participants, and discussions during the experimental reading session were used to study participants' experiences, complementing pre-, and post-reading survey results of this small sample of participants. Results demonstrate very high interest in and expectations from socially engaged arts and a particular value of participatory design and co-creation during the development of the evaluated artistic creation.