— In Theory and in Practice
COURSE OFFERED SPRING 2026
Teaching institution: mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Course Tutor: Axel Petri-Preis
Contact email: petri-preis@mdw.ac.at
Course levels: Undergraduate, Postgraduate
Participation in the Arts — In Theory and in Practice
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In this seminar, we will explore a variety of approaches to participation in the arts. Starting from the observation of community artist François Matarasso that participation has recently become a normalized art practice and policy, we will look at the history of participatory and community art and engage with current texts and reflections, including those by David Elliot et al., Helena Gaunt et al., Dave Camlin, Thomas Turino, and Maria Westvall. Concepts such as Artistic Citizenship, Musicians as Makers in Society, Music Making and the Civic Imagination, and Cultural Democracy will be discussed. To bridge the gap between theory and practice, students will critically reflect on existing projects and develop their own ideas.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course students:
- will have knowledge about the historical development and foundational concepts of participation in the arts.
- will be able to critically reflect on their position and responsibilities as musicians in society.
- will be able to include participatory practices into their artistic work and/or individually or collaboratively develop participatory artistic formats.