BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL THROUGH COMMUNITY

LEAGUE ENGAGEMENT IN ARTS AND CULTURE

Natalie L Shykoluk
AGAD 230 Independent Study

APRIL 15, 2013

AGAD 230 INDEPENDENT STUDY Final Research Paper

NATALIE SHYKOLUK Community League Arts & Cultural Engagement

ABSTRACT This study examines the role of Edmontons community leagues and its governing body, the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL), in engaging community league members and neighbourhood residents in local arts initiatives, activities, and programming. As the role of leagues in arts and culture is not well known among Edmontonians, this study will reveal this rich history by reviewing the literature, examining past and current community league arts and cultural initiatives, and analyzing the data gathered from electronic survey questionnaires. Extensive qualitative and quantitative research has shown that physical and social environments affect the health and wellbeing of individuals and their communities (Anderson et al., 2003). The arts have been used in many communities throughout the world to help build individual and community resilience by developing and improving interpersonal skills, constructing social networks, and contributing to a sense of place and connectedness (Anwar McHenry, 2011). As a result, participation in arts and culture at the community or neighbourhood level contributes to an enhanced quality of life for all residents. Kostash (2012) states Edmontons community leagues have been integral to neighbourhood recreational and creative programming, social networking, and providing sense of place since their inception almost a century ago. Electronic survey questionnaires were distributed to 140 community leagues using the EFCLs database of league contact information. The surveys were designed to gain a better understanding of how community leagues have, and continue to, engage people in the arts. The role of community leagues in the

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development of policies around arts and community development at the municipal level was also examined through survey responses. The survey results showed that respondents were immensely supportive of community leagues taking the initiative in engaging their residents in arts and culture at the neighbourhood level. The results of this study will be shared with the EFCL so that they may share the information with their member organizations across Edmonton. It is hoped that the results will encourage more leagues to explore and plan activities that involve their members and community residents in arts and culture. The positive survey feedback and examples of successful arts and cultural initiatives leagues have been involved with could inspire more community leagues to become involved. BACKGROUND Growing from a handful of leagues in 1912 to 155 leagues as of 2012, Edmontons community league movement has been instrumental in shaping Edmonton and its neighbourhoods with respect to recreation and leisure opportunities, education, and citizen engagement in municipal affairs (Kuban, 2005). Leagues share a long history with promoting an awareness and appreciation of arts and culture within their own communities and in Edmonton through partnerships with artists, programming, events, neighbourhood

revitalization, and the installation of public art. What is truly impressive is that leagues rely almost entirely on volunteers to engage the citizens on Edmonton in

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the citys artistic and cultural diversity, as well as other leisure and public planning activities. According to the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues website, the community league movement in Edmonton can be traced back to 1907 and the desire to create a community-based organization which represented the interests of the entire populace. This idea developed from the Social Centre Movement founded in Rochester, New York. The values espoused by the Social Centre Movement can be best described by Strong in his address to the University of Wisconsin in 1911, there is more in human nature to love than to hate, then the people coming into close contact with one another, will increase their mutual respect and lay broader and securer foundations[and] these [are the] common qualities which the social center movement recognizes and emphasizes (pp. 5-6). It is through participation in the arts and embracing the values of the Social Centre Movement (Strong, 1911) that many Edmonton community leagues have developed their own identities and revitalized their neighbourhoods. Beginning with the formation of the first community leagues, the involvement in arts at a neighbourhood level became entrenched in many leagues missions and programming. For example, league drama clubs and contests, handicraft committees, and talent shows sprung up across Edmonton in the 1930s and continued until the late 1990s. The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues was also heavily involved in promoting community engagement in the arts from its inception in 1920. The EFCL bought a moving picture machine and launched its film program in 1921. This film program

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screened films free of charge for residents with league memberships (EFCL, 1996). They later loaned projectors and films to individual leagues beginning in 1948. In 1952, Edmontons 42 community leagues were encouraged by the EFCL to start their own drama clubs under the direction of Harold Glazerman, a local theatre director of some repute (Kuban, 2005). The Edmonton Recreation Commission began running an Expressive Arts program through community leagues which featured activities like drama, art, crafts, dance, and childrens day camps, although this partnership did not always run smoothly (Farina, 1950). In order to support EFCL and league programs and operations, the City of Edmonton began distributing grants and other funding, a program that has continued to the present day under the Community League Operating Grant. The EFCL has also surveyed community leagues (see Khan, 2012) to better understand how leagues incorporate cultural inclusion into their operations. The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues initiated Community League Day in 2010. This event takes place each year on the third Saturday in September and is designed to celebrate Edmontons community leagues in a festival-like atmosphere, as well as bring neighbours together and showcase local abilities (Remple, 2012). These abilities vary from local artistic talents, dancing, cultural celebrations, local foods, and recreation opportunities. A great example from the 2012 Community League Day is Art at Our Park, a cooperative event produced by Riverbend, the Ridge, Terwillegar, Oak Hills, Hodgson, and Brookview communities. To memorialize the first Community League Day, the EFCL sponsored a community quilt that was displayed at City Hall. Each of the 155 leagues designed a 2 m x 2 m quilt with images that

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represented their community. David Dodge, current President of the EFCL, stated, Our purpose is to help leagues draw attention to what they do so folks all over the city can live local, meet their neighbours and build really strong communities (Klingbeil, 2012). The Cultural Outreach Project, launched by the EFCL in 2009, was designed to reach out to immigrants, ethno-cultural groups, and Aboriginal communities in the Edmonton area through community leagues. Outreach staff looked at how leagues could bridge the gap and overcome social barriers between these groups and mainstream or the dominant culture in Edmonton communities (Khan, 2012). They found that creating programs and activities that attracted these different cultures could help bridge this gap. Groups wanted to share their histories, experiences, and journeys with league members and activities could be arranged to create a space where sharing and understanding could take place. Culturally appropriate programming was identified as a need by many groups, as was the desire to be welcomed into the community based on mutual respect for diversity and respect for different beliefs and values. A thorough analysis of community league, granting body, and arts organization websites, along with a review of relevant published literature, revealed that community leagues have been very successful in engaging residents in and promoting the arts and cultural sector to a wider audience. For example, a number of community league projects have benefitted over the years from Living Local Neighbourhood Arts & Heritage project grants made possible through a partnership between the Edmonton Arts Council, Edmonton Heritage Council, and Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues. This grant provides

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up to $20,000 of matching funds to leagues so that they can commission a local artist (or group of artists) and a historian/heritage practitioner to create a piece of art (e.g., mural, sculpture), workshop, or live performance which recognizes and memorializes their neighbourhoods artistic and historical character (Edmonton Arts Council, 2012). Since 2011, four community leagues each received grant between $5,000 and $20,000 for very diverse projects. Bellevue Community League embarked on their Heritage Project designed to commemorate prominent community members and past league presidents by incorporating historical documents found at their hall into a public display (Robb, 2013). The Ribbons of History project initiated by the Strathcona Community League (as part of the larger 99th Street-Scaping revitalization project from Whyte Avenue to downtown Edmonton) incorporates art, safety, and history in a series of historical pole graphics and informational QR codes links (Ibid.). Other past projects

include the Alberta Avenue Oral History Interpretive Project, Illuminated Boyle which showcased digital media arts using archival photos and contemporary images from local writers and poets, Hazeldean Green: Connecting in Place (an animated historic railway spur and interpretive installation called the Ghost Rail Sculpture), and Child Artists in Action (Edmonton Arts Council, 2012). Another example of neighbourhood engagement in arts and culture is the Strathearn Art Walk which takes place annually at the end of September and features a tour of local artists who display their works on the street, local public galleries, retailers, and public art in the community (Strathearn Community League, 2012). It is a chance for people in Strathearn and visitors to the community to make a connection with the local arts movement, buy locally made

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art, and make their own art. The now defunct federal Cultural Capital Program provided funding to numerous community league-led projects, including the Arts on the Ave championed by the Alberta Avenue Community League. The Cultural Capital Programs goals were threefold: promote understanding among members of a specific community, share that understanding with other Edmonton communities, and create projects which will be part of social change and improved quality of life. These goals were certainly realized with the Arts on the Ave program which increased community resilience and improved the quality of life for the residents of the 118th Avenue area. Arts on the Ave accomplished this by developing a distinct identity for the community through refurbishing delerect buildings, initiating community art projects, and hosting events which took back the community for residents and fosters continual engagement between the community and artists. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Extensive qualitative and quantitative research has shown that physical and social environments affect the health and wellbeing of individuals and their communities (Anderson et al., 2003). The term community refers to a group of people living in a neighbourhood with demarcated geographic boundaries and who are interconnected through various social relationships (Lowe, 2000). The arts have been used in many other communities throughout the world to help build individual and community resilience by developing and improving interpersonal skills, constructing social networks, and contributing to a sense of place and connectedness (Anwar McHenry, 2011).

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The purpose of this study is to examine how Edmontons community leagues increase social capital by promoting and involving its members in the arts. Social capital can be seen as the positive outcome of social relations which bond both similar and diverse groups of people and link people through norms of reciprocity (Baum and Ziersch, 2003; Dekker and Uslaner, 2001). These social relations are correlated with social determinants of health, which include social status, education, child development, social support networks, and poverty (Carson, Chappell, & Knight, 2006). Activities such as theatre, music, crafts, painting, drawing, and dance are all tools which help to increase social capital when used by communities to engage their members. The Edmonton Community Sustainability Task Force (2012) looked at the factors that promote sustainability and resiliency within communities and found that engagement with the arts increased peoples sense of belonging and place. This study will look at whether there are benefits to incorporating the arts into community league programming and activities, as well as determine whether leagues have been successful in creating partnerships between the arts sector and their communities. Also, the role of the arts in community development will also be examined. As this study is designed as an unfolding type of inquiry, it does not seek to prove or disprove a hypothesis. However, due to the enormous amount of previous research into the link between the arts, social capital, and public health, this study will use as its foundation the premise that engagement in the arts in general has been shown to have positive outcomes in communities and among individuals.

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RESEARCH METHODS This study focuses mainly on the use of qualitative and quantitative methodology through the administration of online surveys in order to obtain a better understanding of the relationship between Edmontons community leagues and its members engagement with arts and culture. At the beginning of this study, it was hoped that data could be collected from online surveys that featured qualitative and quantitative questions, as well as from in-person interviews. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and factors outside the authors control, it was decided that online survey data would be sufficient to develop preliminary results and create recommendations for future studies. Sampling strategies include random purposeful and opportunistic methods of inquiry (as discussed in Punch, 2006:51). A random purposeful sampling strategy was employed due to two factors: 1) the time frame dedicated to this study is too short to allow for sampling of the entire potential purposeful sample (i.e., all community league Board members), and 2) credibility was achieved through careful selection of subjects based on their likely ability and willingness to contribute meaningfully to this study. It is necessary to include the possibility of opportunistic sampling because some respondents who received the survey from the author may have forwarded it to other individuals in their community. This could have resulted in possible new survey respondents who could contribute valuable information to this study. Quantitative statistics will also be compiled with respect to 1) number of surveys administered online versus number of actual respondents, 2) number of leagues whose mandate includes arts and culture, and 3) number of leagues

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who include arts and cultural activities in their events and programming. Qualitative data will be used to inform the quantitative results. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE The aims of this study are threefold: to increase knowledge and awareness, inform policy decisions, and influence practitioners.1 It is hoped that the qualitative data gathered from administering an online survey will contribute to a better understanding of how community organizations such as community leagues enhance community engagement in arts and culture in urban areas (in this case, Edmonton). Through this knowledge and examining the personal experiences of survey respondents, it may be possible to inform policymaking at the municipal and provincial levels with regard to funding available for community leagues to continue their engagement with arts and culture, or the provision of seed grants to assist leagues in seeking out and creating new partnerships. Also, many leagues may not be aware of what other leagues are doing in terms of arts and cultural engagement. Therefore, sharing these experiences through the results of this study could help influence league boards (i.e., practitioners) in terms of providing them with new ideas and initiating their engagement strategies. DELIMITATIONS & LIMITATIONS OF RESEARCH The scope of this research study is delimited by a number of factors which are mainly associated with the finite timeframe of the AGAD 230 Independent

1

The term practitioners refers to community league board members and volunteers, EFCL staff and board, Community Recreation Coordinators (City of Edmonton), City of Edmonton councillors, artists, and members of different cultural organizations.

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Study course and nature of undergraduate research. Other factors include the number and nature of electronic survey questions, number of electronic surveys emailed to practitioners; and, the relationship between community leagues and arts and culture in Edmonton. An additional limitation is the fact that not all research participants selected by the author chose to respond to the request for interviews or survey responses. It was hoped that the response rate would exceed 50%; however, it is often difficult to achieve this ratio when surveying the not-for-profit sector and when survey respondents consist mainly of busy volunteers. It was originally thought that sending the survey 140 potential respondents would increase the likelihood of obtaining a significant amount of responses and data. Unfortunately, this is not what occurred, as will be discussed in the Results section of this paper. ETHICAL ISSUES Researchers employing qualitative and/or quantitative must be aware of the many ethical implications of their research. When planning for and conducting research using human subjects, Punch advocates that researchers remain aware of their ethical responsibilities and how they relate to academic integrity, honesty, and an overarching respect for other people (2006:56). This research proposal was submitted to the Research Ethics Board at Grant MacEwan University for ethics approval. Informed consent All research participants were provided with the research proposal abstract and informed as to why they were chosen to participate in this study. Also, participation was completely voluntary and they

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were free to choose to conclude the interview or exit the survey at any point in time. The full research proposal, ethics approval, and Department Chair contact information was made available to all participants if they wished to review these documents. Confidentiality and anonymity Research participants were able to choose if they wanted to remain anonymous or have their name and organization associated with research data and/or published with the results of this study. Ownership of data and conclusions The author of this study will retain ownership of data and conclusions. Results of this study will be shared with the instructor and students in AGAD 230 Independent Study. Depending on the significance and usability of the conclusions reached and information gathered, there exists the possibility that the study or parts of the study may be circulated to community leagues across Edmonton and disseminated through the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues on their website and e-newsletter. It is hoped that the conclusions can be shared through a conference presentation or published article at a later date. Use and misuse of results At no point in time will the results of this study be used to defame any person or organization involved in the study. Honesty and trust The author of this study is a member of the Board of Directors for the Forest/Terrace Heights Community League in Edmonton. As such, she is committed to building and sustaining positive working relationships with all community leagues, the EFCL, and the City of Edmonton. Reciprocity All participants will have access to the results of this study and the author will offer all community leagues, including those who did not

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participate in the study, access to the results so that they may become informed of other leagues mandates, events, and activities around arts and culture. Harm and risk There are no identified physical or psychological risks associated with this study. This study was identified as low-risk by the MacEwan REB and the potential for harm to research participants is negligible. Conflict of interest All participants were informed of the authors position on the Forest/Terrace Heights Board of Directors. The author did not use her position to influence or skew the results of this study in favour of the league she is associated with. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Of the 140 individuals from Edmonton community league boards who were emailed the electronic survey questionnaire, only 20 individuals from 14 different community leagues chose to respond to the survey. This represents a response rate of 14.3%, well below the significance threshold. As a result, the survey data represents a small fraction of the experiences and opinions of community league board members and volunteers with respect to arts and cultural engagement at the local level. Consequently, the results and discussion around the survey

results can be used to create a very general understanding of how Edmonton community leagues see their engagement in arts and culture and perhaps pinpoint some areas for further exploration and/or study. The majority of survey respondents were associated with leagues located in mature neighbourhoods in Edmonton, with a few outliers in the following areas; Castledowns (North Edmonton), Knottwood (Mill Woods), and Summerlea (near

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West Edmonton Mall). Survey respondents have been plotted on a Google map to show their distribution (see Figure 1). Demographically, these results are interesting because league members who responded are from areas that have been home to community leagues for over 50 years. There were no respondents from leagues located in newer communities along the edges of the city, such as Ellerslie, Secord, McConachie, and Terwillegar. Older leagues have been able develop partnerships with arts and cultural organizations over a longer period of time when compared to younger leagues in new communities. Also, leagues in mature neighbourhoods are often viewed as having a distinct cultural and social identity. All of these factors could have influenced the survey for two reasons: those who did respond were already able to draw on a longer league history of arts and cultural engagement (as well as board development and governance), and 2) board members from newer leagues may not have been interested in responding because they did not see the relevance of the survey to their leagues. Of the 20 respondents, 65% identified themselves as members of their leagues Board of Directors. This was expected because the majority of email addresses provided by the EFCL and used in this study were for league board members. Very few leagues have paid staff as they are made up of mainly volunteers, although there was one staff member who responded to the survey. Respondents consisted of chiefly of league presidents (n = 6), while other respondents included board members involved in communications (n = 3), programming and social activities (n = 3), and league administration (n = 3).

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Figure 1 Location of community leagues who responded to the online survey.

Only 35% of respondents indicated their league had made a formal commitment to arts and culture in their mission, vision, and/or values. These elements are contained within league bylaws filed as part of the Alberta Societies Act and are usually included on league websites and other public

communications. Remarkably, 25% respondents were not sure if their bylaws included a commitment to arts and culture, while 25% stated that no such formal commitment existed in their bylaws. Because community league boards are made up of volunteers, new board members rarely receive a formal orientation to league operations or an in-depth review of league bylaws. Respondents who were unsure about the commitments contained with their leagues bylaws could have been new to their league, or may never have read their bylaws. The latter is, unfortunately, a common problem among community league boards as leagues are often just happy to have someone in a position, regardless of their

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level of commitment. In fact, one individual noted that he/she had never even seen his/her leagues mission statement. Therefore, the data collected in this survey may not be as rich as it could have been had all the respondents been familiar with their leagues mission, vision, and values. Also, some leagues did not have mission or vision statements at the time of this survey, were in the process of developing formal guiding statements, or were moving from an operating board to a governance board. When respondents were asked to describe the nature of their leagues commitments to arts and culture, the responses varied widely and included a number of I dont know statements. A couple of respondents appeared to misunderstand the question and referred to exercise programs, free skating, and Mom n Tot play groups sponsored by their league. However, three distinct themes emerged: 1) formal commitment, 2) informal commitment, and 3) opportunistic (i.e., the league will support arts and cultural initiatives if asked to do so or approached). Most importantly, 60% of respondents consider that community leagues are an important medium for arts and cultural engagement on a local or neighbourhood level. This is indeed encouraging as it creates room for improvement and positive change in the future. Of those that had formal commitments to engaging their members in arts and culture, the forms of engagement were diverse. One league has a formal commitment to fostering public art in its community, while another is partnering with other nearby communities to create a book documenting its shared history2.

2 This

activity may be sponsored by the Living Local Neighbourhood Arts & Heritage Grant, although the respondent cannot be linked to a particular league through this survey.

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As part of its annual fall fundraiser, one league features the works of local musicians, artists, actors, and writers. This same league is trying to get local artists submit bids for new developments in their community to fulfill the 1% for art policy as mandated by the Edmonton Arts Council and City of Edmonton. Some leagues have made the connection between arts and culture and quality of life in their bylaws and make an effort to partner with local arts and cultural organizations and/or artists to bring these elements to their members. To fulfill this formal commitment, a number of leagues provide hall rental discounts to local artists and music groups, and then donate advertising space on the league websites and e-newsletters. However, one respondent remarked that,

suggestions to improve and reach out to arts and cultural groups are sometimes met with reticence from community league members who feel that arts groups are not respectful enough of the [community hall] facilities and are often unsavoury types (partiersanarchists & etc.) who are taking advantage of the system by billing themselves as arts groups. With regard to informal commitments, community leagues often incorporate arts and culture into existing programming and events. This means that leagues will support these activities but that arts and cultural engagement is not the focus of the programming and events, nor does it occur to fulfill the leagues mission, vision, and/or values. One respondent stated that their league had artsy activities such as pottery, but did not elaborate on who sponsored this activity or who the attendees were (e.g., was the a league-sponsored program for community residents or a private event for non-local residents?). Another league

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will offer its support for arts and cultural applications, such as grant applications, which are community-focused, but this is not part of their formal mandate. The theme of opportunistic engagement refers to partnerships with, or support of, arts and cultural initiatives and/or programming by leagues only when asked to do so by other parties. A common refrain by respondents was that when their league is approached by a reasonable suggestion from an outside party, they will consider it and usually offer their support for the activity or program. These leagues do not actively seek partnerships; rather, they happen by chance, such as renting the community hall to Northern Lights Folk Club concerts or providing meeting space at a reduced cost to the Edmonton Blues Society. The survey revealed that 50% of respondents leagues partner with local arts and cultural organizations to bring programming and events to community residents. However, the remaining 50% leagues either did not have these partnerships or were not sure if such partnerships existed. The main reason for the absence of partnerships was human resources, namely lack of volunteers. Other reasons include 1) want of community support/input, 2) not part of league mandate, and 3) partnerships havent worked out in the past. When asked what kinds of events and/or programming did result from partnerships, the responses were diverse. Some exciting and inspiring examples include: local sculptors who displayed their work in the community; partnership with the francophone dance troop Zephyr; Saturday Family Supper with a different ethno-cultural theme each month;

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successful Arts & Heritage grant application in support of Mill Woods Artists Collective (community league submitted the application and promotes the collective through advertising);

subsidized dance and drama programs for local children; and, a mural project at Ekota in Mill Woods which would see local youth partner with the community league to design and paint a mural on the local rink shack. The online survey also asked respondents to identify the top three ways

they believe community leagues use arts and cultural to improve their communities. Three quarters of respondents indicated that the chief factor that motivates them to support arts and cultural engagement is that it helps to improve relationships among community residents. The second most important reason (60% of respondents) is that involvement in arts and culture creates a sense of belonging to a particular community (i.e., creates a sense of place), while 55% of respondents thought that this relationship contributes to the uniqueness or individuality of a community. It could be said that the latter two choices are so closely relatedboth refer to how communities distinguish themselves from one anotherthat the responses were skewed towards these two choices rather than a different third choice. These three top picks were followed closely by supporting local artists (n = 10) and increasing appreciation for the arts among community league members and residents (n = 9). From these results, it can be concluded that leagues use arts and culture to differentiate themselves from other communities in Edmonton and help bring

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community residents together through shared activities, programming, and events.

Figure 2 How do you think community leagues use arts and culture to improve their communities?

Because Edmontons community leagues belong to the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, survey respondents were asked whether they believe the EFCL plays a role in engaging communities in arts and culture. Through its mission to promote recreation and leisure opportunities for residents, the EFCL supports arts and cultural engagement among residents and leagues. Half of the survey respondents indicated that the EFCL plays a role in arts and cultural engagement, while 15% did not think the EFCL played a role and 35% did not know enough about this relationship to provide a yes or no response. When asked to elaborate on the EFCLs role, two themes emerged: 1) the EFCL exists as a central resource for leagues and members to access information about arts and cultural events and resources, and 2) the EFCL promotes engagement through identifying potential partnerships between leagues and the arts and cultural sector. However, a few respondents were not

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aware of what role the EFCL plays in engaging leagues and their members in Edmontons arts and cultural sector, while others thought the EFCL puts the majority of its recreation and leisure efforts into supporting and promoting community soccer programs. At the end of the electronic survey, space was provided for respondents to include any additional comments that they felt did not fit into other survey responses. Surprisingly, four themes could be identified from these responses: 1) room for improvement, 2) space issues for programming, 3) lack of volunteer resources, and 4) other issues facing communities are more important. Respondents felt that some leagues around Edmonton, as well as the EFCL, were doing really great things around arts and cultural engagement. Nevertheless, there is a lot of room for improvement, especially with regard to reaching out to arts and cultural groups to form partnerships and build relationships. Because volunteers form the core of community leagues, programming often centres around whether there are enough people to build and run the program, as well as apply for funding to support the programs and activities. Volunteers can get burnt out from being pulled in so many directions. This is directly related to the fact that there are many other civic issues which communities and leagues face on a daily basis. Community league-based committees formed to deal with these civic issues (e.g., mature neighbourhood zoning changes, transportation, grant funding reductions) are staffed by volunteers who then have less time available to dedicate to arts and cultural engagement. Civic and health issues often draw the focus away from the arts and cultural sector, and arts and cultural supporters are left trying to articulate

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why their sector is important to quality of life and needs to be heard along with issues like infrastructure improvements, teachers salaries, and medical research. CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS This study examined the hypothesis that social and health benefits occur when arts and culture are incorporated into programming, events, and activities at the community level. An online survey was designed to investigate whether leagues have been successful in creating partnerships between the arts sector and their communities and to ascertain what role the arts play in community development. Although the data collected from the survey was not sufficient to be able to make concrete assumptions (i.e., the response rate was too low), a number of conclusions and recommendations can be made based on the responses that were gathered. The fact that 75% of respondents indicated that relationships among community league members and residents are strengthened when leagues incorporate arts and culture into their operations aligns with the theory that this type of engagement increases social capital. The majority of respondents were overwhelmingly supportive of using community leagues as a medium to foster relationships between the arts and cultural sector, community residents, and neighbourhoods. In order to increase the reliability of the conclusions drawn in this study, it would be beneficial to administer the survey again through the EFCLs enewsletter, website, and Facebook page, as well as by mailing hardcopies of the survey to every league. Many of the surveys emailed bounced back because of

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incorrect or out-dated email addresses. As mentioned previously, the fact that leagues are run by volunteers often means emails can sit in inboxes for weeks, or even months, before someone gets around to opening them. Furthermore, conducting in-person interviews with community league board members, EFCL staff and volunteers, and City of Edmonton Community Recreation Coordinators would help inform this studys hypothesis and provide additional rich qualitative data. Five recommendations can be drawn from the quantitative and qualitative data gathered from the electronic survey. 1. Community leagues must ensure all board members are familiar with the bylaws of their league, including its mission, vision, and values. This will promote effectiveness among board members so that formal commitments agreed upon by leagues can be addressed and realized, including those related to arts and cultural engagement. 2. It may be beneficial for the EFCL to conduct focus group sessions so that leagues can develop a solid understanding of what a commitment to arts and cultural engagement on a neighbourhood level looks like. Perhaps this could be a joint effort between the Edmonton Arts Council, the EFCL, and local arts and cultural groups and/or individuals. 3. An awareness campaign could improve the relationship between arts and cultural groups and community leagues. This will help to reduce the stigma associated with artists who have a less than stellar image among community league board members and residents. Events and activities

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could be scheduled where local artists introduce themselves to community leagues at monthly board or annual general meetings. 4. Additional opportunities must be created around formal partnerships between leagues and arts and cultural organizations in Edmonton. This could take the form of a league-wide policy on reduced hall rentals for artists, an event calendar for league activities that could be shared with arts and cultural organizations (so that the latter may submit applications to get involved with the league events), and/or a member of the Edmonton Arts Council or similar organization presenting at the EFCL annual general meeting so that all leagues can become aware of the potential for partnership with the arts and cultural sector. 5. Leagues must ensure that they have sufficient volunteers to realize their leagues mission and vision. This has been a thorny issue for leagues for decades and does not have an easy solution. It may be that leagues can partner with arts and cultural organizations to attract volunteers that will mutually benefit both parties. Relying on the same volunteers in a small neighbourhood leads to volunteer burnout and quickly saps enthusiasm.

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AGAD 230 INDEPENDENT STUDY Final Research Paper

NATALIE SHYKOLUK Community League Arts & Cultural Engagement

LITERATURE CITED Anderson, L.M. et al. (2003). The Community Guides model for linking social environment to health. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 24(3S):12-20. Anwar McHenry, J. (2011). Rural empowerment through the arts: the role of the arts in civic and social participation in the Mid West region of Western Australia. Journal of Rural Studies 27:245-253. Baum, F.E. & Ziersch, A.M. (2003). Social capital (glossary). Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 57(5):320-323. Carson, A.J., Chappell, N.L., & Knight, C.J. (2006). Promoting health and innovative health promotion practice through a community arts centre. Health Promotion Practice 8(4):366-374. Community Sustainability Task Force (2012). Elevate. Edmonton, AB: City of Edmonton. Dekker, P. & Uslaner, E.M. (2001). Introduction. In Social capital and participation in everyday life, pp. 1-8. E.M. Uslaner, Ed. London, UK: Routledge. Edmonton Cultural Capital Program. (2007). Community arts grant: cultural collaborations Voices Less Heard. Edmonton: Author. Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (1996). Continued community commitment. Edmonton, AB: Richard S. Sheps.

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AGAD 230 INDEPENDENT STUDY Final Research Paper

NATALIE SHYKOLUK Community League Arts & Cultural Engagement

Edmonton Heritage Council. (2012). Living local: 2012 neighbourhood arts and heritage project grants [Online]. Retrieved September 27, 2012

www.edmontonheritage.ca/go/living-local/ Farina, A.J.O. (1950). The Edmonton community leagues: a study in community organization for recreation (Master of Social Work thesis) [Online]. Retrieved September 23 from https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/

2429/41266/UBC_1950_A5%20F2%20E2.df?sequence=1 Khan, S. (2012). Cultural outreach project report. Edmonton, AB: Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues. Klingbeil, C. (2012, September 15). Community leagues host 90 festivals Saturday. Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Commons Section. Kostash, M. (2012, September 18). Edmontons community leagues blend community and creativity and theyve done it for almost 100 years [Online]. Retrieved September 26, 2012 http://albertaventure.com/20 12/09/edmontonscommunit-leagues-blend-community-and-creativity-and theyve-done-it-for-almost100years/ Kuban, R. (2005). Edmontons urban villages: the community league movement. Edmonton, AB: The University of Alberta Press. Lowe, S. (2000). Creating community: art for community development. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 29:357-386. Punch, K.F. (2006). Developing effective research proposals. 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.

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AGAD 230 INDEPENDENT STUDY Final Research Paper

NATALIE SHYKOLUK Community League Arts & Cultural Engagement

Remple, N. (2012, September 10). Third annual Community League Day features wide variety of activities. Edmonton Examiner, Events section. Robb, T. (2013, March 6). Pairing arts with history: four community leagues receive EFCLs Living Local Arts & Heritage Grants. Edmonton Examiner. Strathearn Community League. (2012, September 11). Your guide to the Strathearn Art Walk and After Party [Online]. Retrieved September 25, 2012 www.strathearncommunityleague.org/home/?p=1199 Strong, J. (1911). The social center movement. Address delivered before The First National Conference on Civic and Social Center Development at Madison, Wisconsin, October 25, 1911. Bulletin of the University of Wisconsin Serial No. 465, General Series No. 302.

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