About Disseminate

Disseminate is an action-based evaluation, research and publishing project that was established in response to a pressing need in the both the arts and health sectors for evaluation of community-based arts programs.

 

While recognising that alignment of arts and health is a multi-faceted field, Disseminate aims to demonstrate the valuable contribution that community arts activities make to the health, wellbeing and vitality of individuals and communities. As such, the project works within an 'arts for health' rather than an 'arts in health' framework. Arts for health promotes the social goals of health for marginalised and excluded members of the community by encouraging individual development and strengthening communities. It works within health promotion and social capital – rather than therapeutic – models, teasing out the psycho-social effects of social inclusion.

 

Disseminate started in 2006 and is now supported by a host of national and international community, government, university and corporate partners. It serves the national arts and health sector in Australia, and  is managed by DADAA, a community-arts organisation based in Fremantle, Western Australia.

 

Evaluation

 

As part of the Disseminate project, practical evaluations are conducted in communities around Australia in an effort to provide evidence for the effectiveness of community cultural development (CCD) programs. Evaluation activities also support the long-term research goal of developing an evaluation framework that accounts for the complexities of arts-based interventions. The project works from the assumption that the development of evaluation methodologies in arts and health is an emergent field, and it is through practice-led activity that effective approaches will be developed.

 

 

The project also runs a publishing initiative, producing print or online books that document the outcomes of programs. Additional materials – including advocacy papers, case studies and evaluation tools – are published on this site.

 

Through links to the Australia Council’s Arts on the Map initiative and the CCD sector site, communities can publish their own stories evidencing best practice and demonstrating the ways in which CCD practice promotes social inclusion.

 

 

Disseminate researchers offer evaluation and research services to community and government organisations around Australia. Staff are skilled in evaluation design, survey development and data analysis. Services also include producing appropriate communication tools to assist with dissemination of information and advocacy activity.