artsbased

Artsbased is an umbrella term for approaches, practices, and research methods that place artistic processes and arts inquiry at the center of learning, expression, and investigation. It is commonly written as artsbased (without a hyphen) to emphasize the primacy of the arts as a modality rather than a secondary activity.

In education, artsbased approaches integrate visual arts, music, drama, dance, or creative writing into curricula to enhance engagement, critical thinking, and knowledge construction. In therapy and social care, artsbased methods use creative expression to support communication, coping, and well-being, often with an emphasis on learner or client agency and voice.

In research, artsbased research (ABR) uses artistic processes and products to collect data, analyze meaning, and present findings. Data collection may include participant-created artworks, performances, or multimedia artifacts; analysis often involves collaborative interpretation by researchers and participants, sometimes accompanied by textual analysis.

The field draws on ideas from experiential education, qualitative inquiry, and community arts practice, and spans disciplines such as education, psychology, health, sociology, and cultural studies. Implementation considerations include ethics, consent for artistic production, representation and power dynamics, and accessibility. Evaluation is often qualitative and situated, calling for diverse measures and long-term outcomes.

Critics caution that the artsbased label can obscure discipline-specific rigor, while proponents argue it expands modes of inquiry and engagement. Common applications include classroom integration of the arts to support STEM learning, hospital-based arts therapy, and community projects that document social issues through creative means.