INSIGHTS 44
VALIDATION GAP
The challenges identified above help to create a picture of a
‘validation gap’ for social practice. Although certain approaches
and outcomes of social projects are highly valued, including
in contexts outside of the arts, the practice is also often
misunderstood and lacks suitable infrastructure to support
its critical contribution, particularly within the art world. We
asked interviewees to reflect on their experiences of validation
and to explore possible solutions.
‘Validation’ was not a commonly used term by those in
the arts community and some found it initially uncomfortable,
associating it with an empirical approach and top-down
decision-making not compatible with the human interaction
of social practice:
I’ve got a problem with that term
“validation” which is like rubber
stamping, where some institution or
person goes, “tick, you’re doing that
socially engaged work right”… I’m just
thinking, who decides? (Artist, 10A)
WAAS, Bureau for the Validation of
Art at 'Social Works? Live', 2019.
Photograph Julian Lister.