A welcoming address will be delivered by Steve Bulcock and Rebecca Court, Birmingham City University.

One of many observations on the role of the art school and creative practices in contemporary society is that it is frequently employed as a means or tool for bridging a democratic deficit. This is, of course, true of many service professions and not only the arts, but it is noticeable how many and how often practitioners working as creative authors or artists have positioned themselves in a role that can affect or enhance communed experience. My view, from personal history as the key vantage point, is that creativity and creative behaviours have an essential and dynamic function in supporting self-determination within self-defining communities.

The three key areas this theme aims to deal with is are:

• Cooperation and caring for place

• A place for art in social change

• Art, places, and environment

As a network we are primarily interested in practice and projects; in how people are producing and how educators and fine art practitioners are responding to challenge.