Disseminate
Disseminate is an action-based research project that aims to generate and share evaluation models and evidence on issues in arts and health as a means of improving the health and wellbeing of people with disabilities and mental health diagnoses.
The project is based on the belief that participation in the arts provides opportunities for self-expression, self-realisation and social inclusion that impact positively on individual and community health and wellbeing. As such, Disseminate supports DADAA’s goals of access, equity, participation, cultural democracy and availability of information.
In July 2010, Disseminate launched a national digital platform to capture evidence and further discussion in the arts and health sectors on the benefits of arts practice to health and wellbeing.
Visitwww.disseminate.net.au for more details.
Aims and Objectives
Drawing on a diversity of activity, and promoting current national and international best-practice initiatives, Disseminate aims to publish the outcomes of various programs and practices in response to a pressing need for evaluating, evidencing and articulating the impact of community-based arts programs.
Over seven years, Disseminate will also develop a new and more effective framework for evaluating arts and health programs, and contribute to national and international dialogue on arts and health.
Key objectives are to:
• Map the best current arts and health practices in WA, Australia and internationally
• Provide much-needed evidence to support claims about the contribution of arts involvement to addressing disability and mental illness in a community setting
• Develop effective evaluation methods and tools for measuring community-based arts programs and practices
• Stimulate debate on issues relating to community-based arts and health initiatives, strategies and policies
• Celebrate WA and other communities who are engaging in arts programs as a means of promoting social inclusion
Disseminate's digital platform is the means for publishing content. The site welcomes content from communities, practitioners, academics and policy makers.
Another key output for Disseminate is a significant annual publication. Other communication materials will also be developed to support the core publication.
The areas of focus for Disseminate will be:
• arts and mental health
• arts and regional/Indigenous disability
• arts, intellectual disability and ageing
Evaluation Best Practice
Disseminate will also involve the development of evaluation strategies and models for DADAA that will see the organisation engage in best practice evaluation across all its programs. Evaluation tools will be developed collaboratively between program managers, funding and research partners, and disseminate staff. These are made available on the Disseminate website.
Partnership Approach
Implemented in partnership with Rio Tinto WA Future Fund, Healthway and the Health Promotion Evaluation Unit at The University of Western Australia, Disseminate will draw on the combined resources, networks and capacities of all its partners, who have the ability to underpin long-term, positive social change. The project positions its partners as influential lead agents in the cross-sector collaboration necessary to effect community development and change.
Disseminate also receives funding from the Australia Council for the Arts and Lotterywest.
Our first publication, Un-hiding: The Book, evaluates and celebrates the five-year disability arts project (2001–2005) carried out in Albany. Un-hiding was published in March 2007.
Our second publication, Proving the Practice, was published in June 2008.
Our third publication, Bridging the Gap, was published in September 2010.
Currently, Disseminate is evaluating The Lost Generation Project.
Visit disseminate.net.au to view films and evaluation materials.