Arts for Empowerment and Social Change
RAP uses arts and cultural based activities to enable refugees, BME communities and other excluded service users and
communities,
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to empower themselves to better manage their own lives;
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to find ways to communicate their concerns;
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to advocate for their own needs and aspirations and contribute to the society in which they live.
Arts and cultural based activities provide a safe environment and allow participants to bring to life their experiences
while feeling they are fully engaged in the activities.
In such an environment participants can enjoy, learn and experiment. They can, in this way, also challenge the ‘status
quo’ or prevailing attitudes, challenge prejudices and help bring about necessary changes. For the arts and culture
create unique opportunities to think beyond existing frameworks and norms and are supportive of social change.
Drama, dance, music and visual expression provide many of the tools that bring about new opportunities for self-expression.
At the same time, working on social issues through the medium of the arts, enriches and adds social meaning to the arts themselves
and to creativity.
