Music education as democratic practice. Exploring the institutionalization of artistic citizenship in Danish voluntary music education

Artistic and musical practices are part of human social life and therefore contribute to the continuous creation and development of society. From this point of view, participation in artistic practices can be seen as an opportunity for members of society to perform their citizenship, as such practices allow individuals and groups to express themselves and acquire resources for engaging in and influencing the social world they inhabit.

This research project examines Musik- og kulturskolen (The Municipal School of Music and Performing Arts) as an arena for the development of citizenship for children and young people. While both politicians and music educators have expressed how music and music education should be “for all,” recent studies have shown that some social groups, due to social, economic and/or cultural reasons, are less likely to use existing offers for music education. This in turn has led some schools to initiate outreach programs that specifically target those groups.

Through an ethnographic study of two such programs, this research project will examine how musical participation can be seen as a way of experiencing, performing and negotiating citizenship, as well as the possibilities and challenges connected to the institutionalization of citizenship practices in Musik- og kulturskolen.

The project will commence in January 2021