Abstract:
This paper explores the potential role of art-based social enterprises in
contributing to sustainable urban development. It considers the examples of two
social enterprises on opposite sides of the globe, and with contrasting relations
to the “urban”; the Pacific Women’s Weaving Circle in the heart of inner-city
Melbourne, Australia and Dzidefo Women’s Cooperative which traverses the
rural context of Kpando, Ghana, with urban markets in Africa and the USA. Both
enterprises use the vehicle of art to create opportunities for communities facing
economic and social hardship. This paper approaches the field of social
enterprise with a cross-disciplinary perspective that combines empirical, art
historical and cultural studies methodologies to provide a deeper and more
nuanced understanding of how communities manage the complexities of
simultaneously pursuing economic, artistic and social development goals. At the
point of rapid growth in this field, it considers the conditions for success, and
potential risks, of art-based social enterprises in different geographic and urban
contexts internationally.
