Sixteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Over the last 30 years we have seen a sincere effort on the part of many countries to more effectively educate and include students with cognitive challenges in our schools, communities and culture. Even though undeniable progress has been made, the struggle to fully and meaningfully include continues. Part of the challenge is that without high levels of linguistic and verbal skills, these individuals are too often seen as being passive and having little to contribute to society. It is clear that having a functioning form of language in order to construct, express, and communicate how we imagine ourselves and the world around us is critical. Imagination is key (Maxine Greene, 2005) because it can act as a crucial opening for individual voice and perspective to occur. Findings from this research suggest that participation in the arts can play a critical role in providing a kind of language. For through the imaginative process of art making, participants with cognitive challenges are able to make their voices visible, thus entering into the cultural dialogue. This paper examines the role that arts can play in both encouraging voice and agency for persons with diverse needs and abilities, as well as challenging our beliefs and assumptions surrounding these often-marginalized members of our society.