“I Thought I Was Learning Circus Skills, But Really, I Was Learning How To Live A life Beyond My Wildest Dreams”: A Qualitative Exploration Of Community Arts For Wellbeing

Community arts can transform lives, fostering connection, self-discovery, and a sense of purpose. While there is burgeoning evidence exploring wellbeing benefits of community arts for individuals, less is known about the implications over the longer-term. This study draws on experiences of past participants of a community arts program in Australia to understand perceived lasting wellbeing implications of community arts engagement decades later. Thirteen people who had engaged in the program, took part in semi-structured interviews for this study. Thematic analysis highlighted social connection as an important outcome including interpersonal relationship development and broader community building, which supported a strong sense of belonging and purpose. Personal growth in relation to healing and confidence were also identified and these outcomes supported participants to envisage new identities and possibilities for the future, which had a positive influence on their wellbeing and life trajectories. This study demonstrates that community arts can have a profound and lasting impact on individual and collective wellbeing, with implications for arts, community development and health research and practice.