socialpractice

Social practice is a term used to describe work that centers social relations and collaboration with communities as the defining element of the practice. It is used across fields such as art, design, education, and urban planning to produce outcomes—often in the form of experiences, programs, or services—through participatory processes rather than stand-alone objects. In social practice, participants are co-creators and collaborators, and the work unfolds through dialogue, fieldwork, workshops, and collective decision making. Projects are typically location-specific, iterative, and oriented toward social benefit, community empowerment, and new forms of public engagement.

The approach became prominent in art and cultural work in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, drawing on participatory art, community art, and social innovation. It emphasizes ethics, consent, transparency, and long-term relationships rather than traditional exhibition or product metrics.

Common methods include public forums, collaborative making, community mapping, service design, and policy-oriented interventions. Evaluation often focuses on social impact, capacity building, trust, and sustained networks, though some projects also pursue artistic or aesthetic outcomes.

Debates focus on questions of power, representation, sustainability, and the risk of co-optation or dependency. Proponents argue that social practice can enact tangible benefits and broaden participation, while critics urge careful attention to ethics, accountability, and evidence of impact. Related fields include participatory art, community art, social design, civic engagement, and urban development.