About Me | Andrea Kenny

I am London based, Socially Engaged Community Practitioner who creates accessible spaces where social issues, sometimes of a taboo nature, can be openly expressed & channeled into a creative manifestation. This may be object or non-object making, working under the acronym, RAW = Real-Art-Words.

‘Socially Engaged Practice is a term for community work that is trans-disciplinary by nature and as such is characterized by the use of a range of mediums, including social engagement, interaction, participation, collaboration, dialogical, and relational aesthetics, working with individuals, groups and organizations’. [1]

The philosophy & practice of activism (children & young people’s rights), dialogical, social pedagogy, egalitarianism, democracy & research is a continuous thread throughout all of my work.

Current projects include a socially engaged dialogue and collaboration with a group of care leavers – ‘Care not Custody’, a dialogue and intervention with young vulnerable black men who are ‘sick’ of being unjustifiably stopped and searched by the police – ‘Stopped & Scarred’ and an on-going project with families and individuals affected by addiction, ‘Anonymous Apology’ (AA) – working toward a publication.

Manifestations can include photographic images, publications, staging presentations, exhibitions, public recounting of experiences and voice recordings, creating a powerful message, visual and audio narration of empowerment, aimed at raising awareness of the crucial implications & realities of living with complex socio-political issues & underrepresentation.

My creative studio based making currently includes a series of Fact Maps: a colourful network of factual information that through its design & presentation draws people to pay attention to important social issues that might otherwise be lost in conventional media formats.

My research, socially engaged work in the community & creative making studio practice, work hand in hand.

I use the Arts & social pedagogy to positively challenge bigotry, stereotyping, ignorance & to increase awareness of the detrimental affects of inequality of opportunity.

[1] Helguera, P, Education For Socially Engaged Practice (Jorge Pinto Books 2011) p 3