Addressing entrenched social problems in local communities like inequality, violence, or environmental degradation is as much about changing local cultures and mindsets as it is about reworking the socioeconomic structures around them. Cultural norms and values, such as gender roles and attitudes toward nature, guide economic and social interactions in communities. Challenging or redirecting established values is therefore at the heart of structural change.

Some of the most powerful tools for challenging established norms and for raising awareness about social problems are cultural artifacts like art, music, and film. However, artists and artistic projects have the power to do much more. Indeed, they can play a vital role in community change. Given the right support and strategy, artist-led efforts can empower communities to craft desirable futures, make social issues visible beyond the community, and promote long-term investments in local transformations.

But where exactly does the power of art for social change lie, and how can artists, communities, and funders effectively promote art-based change projects? Here’s a look at three artist-led projects that have made a significant impact in local communities through a combination of visual art and documentary films, as well as five strategies for funders to best support these types of projects.

Artistic projects have a unique capacity to empower communities to envision a world different from their present reality. Indeed, the creative process can be particularly useful in contexts of poverty and hardship, where it can be difficult for people to think beyond their immediate opportunities and constraints, and imagine alternative futures.

The 2010 documentary Waste Land offers a good example. The film portrays a collaboration between Brazilian artist Vik Muniz and a group of catadores, or “collectors,” who gather recyclable materials in Jardim Gramacho, a large landfill near Rio de Janeiro. Muniz works with the catadores to create artworks from materials they have collected, including variations on a Renaissance Madonna, Jean-François Millet's painting The Sower, and Jacques-Louis David’s painting The Death of Marat. The process takes the catadores on a transformative journey that helps them see themselves differently. They develop a newfound sense of pride and value in their work, and a new outlook on their roles as recyclers contributing to environmental sustainability. They also develop new artistic skills.

Read the full article about artistic leadership by Stephan Manning and Yeşim Uygur at Stanford Social Innovation Review.