PhD seminar: Socially Engaged Art as a Subject of Study

PhD Seminar “Socially Engaged Art as a Subject of Study and its Potential for Higher Arts Education’s Third Mission – Contributing to Society” will take place on 21 November 10.00-14.00 at Estonian Academy of Art. Lecturer Kai Lehikoinen (Uniarts Helsinki).

Seminar is open to PhD and MA students.
Please register HERE by 14 November.

What do we mean by socially engaged art, and why does it matter in higher arts education today? This seminar explores socially engaged art as a dynamic and interdisciplinary field of study that fosters creativity, collaboration, and societal transformation. In this theoretical and practical seminar conducted by Kai Lehikoinen we will get familiar with socially engaged art, its interests, central organising concepts, principles of practice, skills and competences, and criteria of success.

In this session, drawing from his new book Creativity, Society, and the Role of Socially Engaged Art in Higher Arts Education (Routledge, 2025), Kai Lehikoinen introduces case examples and invites participants to imagine how socially engaged arts practices can contribute to the Third Mission of higher arts education—engagement with society—by creating “third spaces” for dialogue, co-creation, and innovation. Through a lecture presentation, followed by group discussions and sharing, participants will reflect on how these practices can enrich research, pedagogy, and institutional impact across diverse cultural contexts.

This seminar is relevant for artists in all art forms, researchers, practitioners, and educators who are curious about how to expand their work and share it further, regardless of their previous experience with the field of socially engaged art.

Kai Lehikoinen is a Finnish scholar of dance pedagogy and socially engaged arts, currently serving as a University Researcher at the Research Institute of Uniarts Helsinki. His research spans socially engaged arts practices, masculinities in dance education, and the evolving professionalism of artists. He actively contributes to discourse on the futures of higher arts education, as well as equity and well-being in and through the arts.

Throughout his career, Lehikoinen has held several leadership roles, including Vice Director of ArtsEqual Research Initiative and Director of the CERADA research centre. He currently serves as a member of ELIA’s Representative Board, contributing to international dialogue on arts education and policy.

Estonian Doctoral School for the Humanities and Arts

Project “Cooperation between universities to promote doctoral studies” (2021-2027.4.04.24-0003) is co-funded by the European Union.