Integrating social arts into creative arts therapies training: Teachers' and students' perspectives

In recent years, fine arts education has shifted toward socially engaged practices—moving beyond the studio to embrace art as a vehicle for social transformation. This turn toward participatory and community-based approaches has also begun to influence creative arts therapies (CATs), where increasing attention is being given to the social dimensions of therapeutic artmaking. Within this context, Social Arts (SA) have emerged as a subfield of participatory arts involving collaboration between socially engaged professionals and non-professionals. Through co-creative processes, SA promotes personal growth, social inclusion, and collective change. Despite growing interest, research on integrating SA into CATs remains limited. This qualitative study investigated SA within CATs Israeli curricula by analyzing course structures, content, and methodologies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight SA teachers and 14 SA students, alongside a review of SA syllabi. To ensure credibility, the study used triangulation across datasets and member-checking to reduce confirmation bias and verify interpretations. Three main themes emerged: (1) teachers’ search for meaning as a driving force, (2) training students to become agents of social change, and (3) challenges in SA training courses. These findings illustrate how SA is being embedded into CATs Master's programs in Israel, offering a unique merger of therapeutic practice and social activism. Further research should explore a broader range of international CATs programs that include SA components, evaluating their impact. Additionally, developing standardized tools to measure SA's multifaceted effects could support their recognition and integration not only within CATs education and practice but also across related disciplines.