Arts participation: what is the point?

This study examines the current situation concerning arts participation in Dutch visual arts museums. In order to map different perceptions of arts participation, 11 in-depth interviews were conducted. Arts participation is viewed from the perspective of educational departments and, therefore, the interviewees are all involved in educational programs development. The results confirm that there is not one single definition of arts participation and that what is understood under the term differs significantly from one museum to another. However, arts participation is regarded as an important element in museum programming and all selected museums do pay attention to participation, although the extent to which they utilize it varies. Since arts participation can take on different forms, the evident struggle is how to measure the outcomes and how to evaluate its results. Based on the individual perceptions, the study establishes an overarching definition of arts participation in the Netherlands. All in all, the impacts of arts participation are in general perceived as beneficial and they are ascribed highly positive effects.