Artists as change agents in cross-sector partnerships: A typology

Abstract

• Corporate and societal actors increasingly seek artistic and creative contributions to address pressing challenges (e.g., those related to the sustainable development Goals). • The ways in which creativity is organized and change is achieved in cross-sector partnerships with artists as change agents remain poorly understood. • This paper aims to classify change agency through the arts into a typology. • We propose four ideal types: transactional commissions, coordinated public (co-)production, goal-directed collaborations, and transformational co-creation. • We provide examples of each type and explore the organization of change agency and the competences required of artists. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of practices and activities that involve artists and designers as change agents in cross-sector partnerships. These practices are often considered separate from artists’ core activities and remain underexplored in research. This paper aims to classify these practices into a typology, beginning with a conceptual framework informed by initial perceptions of the field, which was subsequently refined through insights from relevant literature and expert interviews. The typology highlights the diversity of ‘change agency partnerships’ involving artists and identifies the exchange mechanisms that define each mode: transactional commissions, coordinated public (co-)production, goal-directed collaboration, and transformational co-creation. This typology serves as a heuristic tool for discussing, analyzing, and organizing the role of the arts in addressing societal challenges and driving change. As a conversation starter, we discuss what is needed for artists to assume the role(s) as change agents and how creativity and change within such partnerships can be organized.

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