"The Arts of Integration: Scottish policies of refugee integration and the role of the creative and performing arts."

In Scotland, integration of asylum seekers and refugees occurs from day one. This is the primary integration policy in Scotland and differs from the policies in the rest of the UK. This policy has been the subject of a number of research studies in the social sciences over the last three years. Findings from these studies have shown the creative and performing arts, and opportunities for self and collective expression, in communities, to be a significant and valued element in the experience and process of integration. No study has yet focused on the distinctive nature of the use of the creative and performing arts in integration, how they operate in different communities, what the methods and organizing principles might be, how different cultures are able to collaborate through the creative and performing arts despite considerable differences in language and culture and in assumed ways of organising performance.
This project investigates the use of the creative and performing arts in the work of community integration for refugees in Scotland. It also proposes to compare the generally supportive policies of integration in Scotland with countries where policies are less favourable or even hostile, including the rest of the United Kingdom and prospectively Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand.
The student will review existing research on the use of the arts in communities for community development and community cohesion (including work of the AHRC Connected Communities theme) especially with regard to multicultural communities. The review will be applied to the context of refugee integration in Scotland by undertaking a study within communities where policies which promote the use of the arts for integration purposes are being implemented. This will involve work during the Refugee Week Scotland Festival as well as with arts programmes co-ordinated by the Scottish Refugee Council (http://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/).
The project student will contribute findings to key areas of policy, notably to the New Scots Integration Strategy, launched in 2013 and which will reach its midpoint review towards the end of the project. In addition the project will develop a best practice guide to what works in using the creative and performing arts for promoting integration. The core idea and policy of 'integration' together with the use of the arts will be subject to review and critical study, so that it is not simply an assumed societal good, but is evaluated fully. The project student will work closely within the Scottish Refugee Council, as the project partner, and with researchers at the University of Glasgow's Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network (GRAMNet) (http://www.gla.ac.uk/gramnet/).
A key focus of activity will be Refugee Week Scotland and other International Days of Observance will also provide a focus for observation, description and participation throughout the course of the project and notably in the field work phase. Major outputs will include a best practice guide on what works in arts based integration with refugee communities and local communities, including policy and practice guidelines for arts, communities, social services, creative industries.