Mission

To gather and publish, for public attention and teaching purposes, an accessible document on what is 'known' – scientifically, anecdotally or analytically – of the societal interaction and impacts of the arts on society as observed from historic experience – starting with music.

Scope and Agenda

The Foundation has enlisted the expertise of The University of Vienna, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to conduct the research for this endeavor. The project seeks to draw on art’s universality, multiple forms and diversity of character within and between art forms and societies to consider its capacity for stimulating creativity, appreciation of variety and pluralistic values – and doing so in the development of individuals and communities. It will raise the question of the spontaneous or inherent manifestation and impact versus the deliberate policy use of the arts for socio-political objectives. It will address, as well, the damaging potential for divisiveness seen in some precedents. It will attempt to understand the conditions that spawn each and consider the prospects for deliberate initiatives for constructive policies and programs. This involves a literature search to gather intelligence, some informed analysis and commentary.

This project will examine the capacity to identify the impacts of the arts (starting with music) on the dynamics, behavior, or performance of societies. The question extends to both artistic creation and audience experience – and to both spontaneous occurrence and a deliberate policy introduction into a community of exhibition/performance of artistic output. In short, we seek a collected body of data and analysis of what is ‘known’ of the cause-effect linkage of the arts impacting society, whether considered positive or negative, from social or human scientific experimental or experiential evidence, from disciplined observation or that is widely believed from analytical extrapolation. The project will also investigate the pathways that influence through which the arts impact societies. Further, we will conceptually ask the question from the perspectives of such impacts on individuals, groups and institutions. The intention is to have a backdrop for a dialogue on the policies and practices that should be considered in contemporary communities.

This cause and effect direction of the arts impacting society is less studied and a more challenging question for which to document a response – and is the topic on which we seek to focus research and analysis. The central hypothesis of this project is that: the arts do not generally shape geopolitical events – but they do help to shape man – and man shapes such events. The questions we will ultimately try to answer include:

• What societal conditions might be influenced by the arts/artists?
• What role do or can the arts play in an individual’s creativity, attitudes to diversity/pluralism and the consequent implications/expectations of the artist and society of one another?
• How does the shared experience of music impact individuals and the cohesion of groups and communities and their characteristics?
• What do the arts do - or what might they be caused to do - in respect of contemporary societal and socio-political conditions?
• How do nationalistic characteristics and the differing affinities for different types of arts/music affect the societal impacts - i.e. is classical music seen as part of popular culture, elitist or as a mark of one’s social contribution?
• What might political/diplomatic actors and musicians/artists find, expect, ask, or seek to stimulate from, or contribute to, the other?
• How different are the answers across countries and by virtue of what characteristics?

Musicology calls on history, psychology, philosophy, sociology and, sometimes, religion; while the ‘role of arts in influencing society’ also looks to political science, international relations, social diplomacy, law, economics and governance.