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International assessment data consistently indicate that when compared to their peers from other major developed nations, American students, irrespective of their race, underperform in reading and mathematics (Darling Hammond, 2010; NCES, 2011; PIRLS, 2011; PISA, 2009; TIMSS, 2011). Within an American context, African American males generally have the lowest reading scores as compared to their White peers (Husband, 2012; NCES, 2011; Schott Foundation, 2010; Spellings Report, 2006). Existing research indicates that these disparities in academic performance are a result of inequalities in access to quality education and differences in the treatment of students, which are deeply imbedded in historical patterns of racial, gendered, and class discrimination. However, past studies also indicate that these same students optimize their learning experiences and become high performers when they receive high quality instruction and school enrichments. Thus, this chapter examines the use of Readers Theater as an instructional model that may help to enhance the school achievement of student groups, such as African American males. The chapter documents the challenges that Black males face in schools and proposes performing arts education as a mediating mechanism and reading enhancement tool. Additionally, it includes an in-depth description of Readers Theater and examines several studies on this instructional method and its potential impact on African American males and their reading skills.

Researchers face many ethical challenges when conducting research with children. Ethical issues can be even more significant when researchers work with children from low-income urban settings in the Global South. This chapter presents reflections on research conducted with children aged 6–12 years old who live in Jakarta, Indonesia. Underpinned by the new sociology of childhood, the study was designed to gather these children’s perspectives on child-friendly public spaces in their neighbourhoods. A range of qualitative methods were used including child-led tours, drawings, observations and interviews. As part of the study, the authors developed and reflected on the use of story and storytelling to deliver the research information and obtain the children’s consent to participate. The authors’ experience demonstrates that story and storytelling supported children’s competence and engaged them in a meaningful informed consent process. This approach is especially relevant for children with low literacy skills and whose parents or caregivers may not be available to help children decide on their participation in research. The chapter concludes with recommendations for effectively approaching this ethical challenge in future social research with children from similar backgrounds.

The aim of the study is to contribute to the extending body of literature on ‘the different effects of cultural engagement’ through cases from Turkey. In the context of art and society interaction, the study seeks to find evidence from practice within the scope of the ‘cultural value’ and ‘arts marketing’ literature. ‘Co-creation’ is mentioned as an important term in the cultural engagement context, and purposeful co-creation acts are investigated in the art industry. Therefore, the research focuses on interaction in the context of culture in order to explore the complex nature of co-creation of cultural value in alternative places and cultural frames. From this perspective, the study underlines the roles of place and atmosphere in the cultural engagement process. The cultural engagement areas of art and the public are determined in three different fields: nature (art in the village), science (campus) and business (shopping mall). The case study research is realised in order to gain a detailed and holistic view of the process. While the intention of all art events is the interaction of art and society, all three cases lead to different dimensions of ‘cultural engagement’ in different contexts. In this manner, these different cultural frames enlarge our comprehensive view of the constitution of ‘art and cultural value’ in terms of place and cultural frame of the field. The study underlines that society-oriented local art events and organisations are supporting the art and society link rather than focussing the economic value of art and artists as the actors of a commercial art industry.

Drawing on findings from the project ‘Walking around with our cameras’ (2014–16), this chapter explores educative and methodological implications of arts-based research. The project on which this chapter is based was conducted in Bilbao (Spain) by two local organizations: Sala Rekalde, a contemporary art gallery; the Institute of Human Rights of Deusto University, a local artist and a group of migrant women. Analysis of this project offers insights into the ways that artistic practices afforded unique opportunities for migrant women to reconstruct and represent their migratory experiences. This chapter sheds light on the ways that participatory arts-based research can move across disciplines and enhance effective achievement on collaborative projects that work to give voice to the voiceless.

Historically business education has put greater emphasis on rational analysis and the acquisition of instrumental and technical knowledge, while paying relatively scant attention to developing business students’ soft skills such as self- and social awareness and emotional intelligence through contemplative learning. In light of the growing need for more open and diverse ways of knowing that are more holistic, emotional, and aesthetic in management education, the authors present a 2 × 2 framework of arts-based pedagogy which helps organize various arts-based practices currently used in management education. The authors also share their personal reflections on using artful practices, specifically focussing on two individual-level experiential learning activities (i.e. museum visits and e-portfolio projects) and one group-based participatory art project. The authors further discuss why creative thinking and innovative arts-based practices can open up a new possibility for filling the gaps in current management education, especially in regard to developing students’ self- and social awareness and environmental consciousness in a more creative manner.

This chapter addresses relevant academic discourses and theory development in the cross-disciplinary fields where the arts and business meet. Three specific discourses are investigated: the arts for business, the arts with business and the arts’ disruptive business (or against business). The manner of the investigation reflects the overall tone and approach of this book in that it includes an introductory review of the relevant literature as a means of distilling the key themes and theories that have emerged in this research field. The chapter will thus also add some reference value to the key questions of academic debate about the arts and businesses: where have we come from and where are we now? Some speculation on ‘where we are going’ is also included.

This chapter uses reflexive praxis to advance a framework for developing creative virtuosities for entrepreneurs based on four interrelated aspects: finding their own voice and passion at work; unleashing creativity and imagination at work; working collaboratively toward innovation; and handling complexity and integrative thinking. These four creative virtuosities emerged from observations and exploratory interviews with training program participants on five different occasions in Turkey, the UK, and Canada. They are illustrated through four arts-based metaphors: poetry; theater; orchestra; and jazz. The core premise of this chapter is that these four virtuosities can provide entrepreneurs with a sound basis and a wealth of knowledge on developing creative solutions to new socioeconomic challenges of prospective radical technological and economic changes.

In today’s hypercompetitive, digital-first, knowledge-based economy, organizational creativity has never been more important as a potential source of competitive advantage. The foundation stone for every innovation is an idea and all ideas are born of creativity. The innovation process thus starts with creativity and the new ideas it yields are ideally based on insights that will lead ultimately to novel outcomes (such as new products, services, experiences or business models) and thereby to a sustainable competitive advantage. In established businesses, until relatively recently, creativity was called on only for specific, often high-profile occasions, for ‘hackathons’ or for major ‘innovation jams’, but today it is an essential, everyday necessity of routine work. However, attaining the right level of creativity from within is a challenge for many organizations and so they need to establish an appropriate and effective way to import it into their teams, projects and, ultimately, culture. The arts are a pure, unadulterated form of creativity. Mindsets, processes and practices from the arts can give organizational creativity a significant boost and can potentially offset the creative deficit in an organization. Here, the illustrative cases and practices that demonstrate how the arts can have a positive impact on business are examined.