Considering Calypso: Storying the Barriers to Arts Access and Participation

Abstract

In response to the exclusionary practices of national surveys in their approach to research on arts equity, this study looks at the life stories of art educators as a site of inquiry in understanding the barriers to arts access and participation, and as a means of re-humanizing the discourse. It positions the art educator in place of power and thus works on the premise that teacher reflexivity could help foster better more empathetic, accepting art pedagogy. Thus, this project asks what can be learnt about the barriers to arts access and participation through story, namely using a new Calypso methodology. Studying the life stories of three art educators, including the researcher, self identified barriers to arts access and participation are explored within the context of contemporary research on arts equity. Results point to the complexity of the relationships between the home, the family, arts educational institutions, community and personal identity. The study emphasizes the need to consider the role of nuance and context in better understanding the barriers and privileges persons encounter throughout their lives in relation to the arts. Finally, the study utilizes the agency of film as a performative tool in widening the discourse about its findings to a larger group.