In his audio essay François Matarasso examines the depoliticization of community art in Britain from 1970 to 2011.
He contends that the Thatcher government initiated a deliberate shift towards portraying citizens as consumers, emphasizing individualism over communal values. Matarasso asserts that “Community art” originally described a multifaceted, dynamic, and contested practice pioneered by young artists and theater-makers aiming to revitalize an art world perceived as either bourgeois or repressive. However, the term fell out of favor in the early 1990s, supplanted by the seemingly innocuous “participatory arts.” Nevertheless, Matarasso notes that some individuals still use the original term, suggesting a potential resurgence in its usage.
His argument draws upon numerous contemporary examples, spanning from the Welfare State and 7:84 to ‘Swagger Jagger,’ the debut single by Cher Lloyd, who achieved fourth place in the 2010 series of The X Factor.