Socially Engaged Art as a Subject of Study and its Potential for Higher Arts Education’s Third Mission – Contributing to Society

📍Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn, A501

What do we mean by socially engaged art, and why does it matter in higher arts education today?

This seminar explores socially engaged art as a dynamic and interdisciplinary field of study that fosters creativity, collaboration, and societal transformation. In this theoretical and practical seminar conducted by Kai Lehikoinen we will get familiar with socially engaged art, its interests, central organising concepts, principles of practice, skills and competences, and criteria of success.

In this session, drawing from his new book Creativity, Society, and the Role of Socially Engaged Art in Higher Arts Education (Routledge, 2025), Kai Lehikoinen introduces case examples and invites participants to imagine how socially engaged arts practices can contribute to the Third Mission of higher arts education—engagement with society—by creating “third spaces” for dialogue, co-creation, and innovation. Through a lecture presentation, followed by group discussions and sharing, participants will reflect on how these practices can enrich research, pedagogy, and institutional impact across diverse cultural contexts.

This seminar is relevant for artists in all art forms, researchers, practitioners, and educators who are curious about how to expand their work and share it further, regardless of their previous experience with the field of socially engaged art.

Register yourself HERE. The maximum number of participants is 25.

In case of questions, please contact Irene Hütsi, irene.hutsi@artun.ee.

Estonian Doctoral School for Humanities and Arts.