The role of art in building unity and understanding in a divided society

Chancellor's Blog

As we approach the conclusion of one of the most polarizing elections in recent history, I have been thinking about how, no matter the outcome, the divisions that surround us today will linger long after Nov. 5. The places where all people can come together to connect, have shared experiences, and explore our commonalities are too few and far between. For many, the tendency is to retreat, seeking refuge behind screens or among those who share our beliefs. We often find ourselves in echo chambers, connecting less with the diversity of perspectives around us.

But while today’s politics divide us, now is the perfect time to remind ourselves that the work we do at UNCSA — the work that artists do everywhere — is critical to bridging those divides and unraveling these binds we have created in society.

Empathy through art

Imagine being in a room full of strangers, each carrying a world of unique experiences and beliefs. Picture this crowd captivated, each individual’s story melting into a shared narrative woven by music, a painting, a film, or a powerful dance. You likely don’t have to imagine this and have had such an experience yourself at some point in your life. This is the transformative, unifying power of the arts — an experience that reaches beyond words, directly to the core of who we are as human beings.

Art can create an environment to expose people to different perspectives. From that space, art can spur dialogue among those with differing beliefs. In the process, art can push boundaries and provoke new thoughts or new ways of thinking, or help people view their perspective from a different lens.

Most importantly, art can foster empathy. It is an empathy machine. What other medium on the planet is more adept at helping one person feel and understand what another is feeling? It can remind us that as humans what unites us greatly outweighs what divides us.

In the words of actor and UNCSA alumnus Stephen McKinley Henderson, artists are “alchemists of empathy, sorcerers of empathy, magicians of empathy.”

“There is a great civility to citizens gathering in museums, concert halls, opera houses, and theaters. Gathering not knowing what political or religious affiliation the person standing or seated next to them might have – each experiencing creative expression through their own personal lens. It’s not their team’s side of the stadium or an opposing team’s section of the bleachers. They are one audience united in amazement at the leaps and landings of the extraordinary human bodies dancing before them. At a live performance, joyous laughter and unexpected tears unite an audience across all divisions.” – Stephen McKinley Henderson (B.F.A. '72), UNCSA Commencement 2021

Moments of unity

Throughout history we have seen ways in which the arts can help heal entire communities - people from all walks of life and political backgrounds — by bringing them into the same room sharing a meaningful experience.

Just look at the ways in which people grieved together after 9/11 at concerts such as the New York Philharmonic performing the Brahms Requiem in a nationally televised memorial to the victims.

After the hate crime and murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming, Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project created “The Laramie Project,” a play based on interviews with the town’s residents. That play and subsequent HBO film helped many individuals and communities process grief, creating dialogue about acceptance and tolerance.

“We Are The World,” created by Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and Quincy Jones, brought together a supergroup of artists from different backgrounds to raise global awareness for famine in Africa and raise funds for famine victims. It united people across borders in a shared cause, demonstrating the power of music to inspire global solidarity on an historic scale and raised $60M in 1986 from record sales alone.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, conductor Leonard Bernstein led Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with its “Ode to Joy” in Berlin, a performance that symbolized the reunification of East and West Germany, which a message of universal brotherhood in the music echoing hopes for peace, reconciliation, and freedom after decades of division.

And there are countless other examples across all artistic disciplines. From the visual arts world, works like Picasso’s Guernica and Dorothea Lange’s “The Migrant Mother” continue to inspire dialogue on human suffering and resilience. “Hamilton” is a modern example of how theater can address complex social and historical issues and spark conversations across political divides. To date, that show continues to fill the seats of the Richard Rodgers Theater and touring venues across the country with people from across the political spectrum, perhaps more than any other musical in history that wasn’t named “West Side Story.”

These are just a few examples of how the arts have helped transform the way we see the world, challenging us to empathize and see others more fully. But the impact of art isn’t just emotional – these shared experiences can carry powerful physiological effects as well.

It's science

In a 2017 study, neuroscientists at University College London found that watching a live theater performance can synchronize the heartbeats of audience members. During a West End production of “Dreamgirls,” researchers observed that audience members’ hearts sped up and slowed down in unison, mirroring the rhythms of the performance. A lead researcher said that “experiencing the live theater performance was extraordinary enough to overcome group differences and produce a common physiological experience in the audience members.” (On a side note, a later study by the same group showed that watching live theater stimulates your cardiovascular system to the same extent as doing 28 minutes of health cardio exercise!).

Embracing art’s power

Now, more than ever, we need to appreciate this unifying power of the arts. By prioritizing the arts — as artists, in our personal lives, our communities, and our society — we prioritize empathy and understanding, building a foundation for a more connected, unified future.

And for art to fully realize its power to bring people together, we have to ensure that spaces where art and artists develop — like UNCSA — are open and welcoming to all people, perspectives, and stories that make up our society. Spaces grounded in academic and artistic freedom allow us to explore those stories, wrestle with them, and present them back to the world.

Here at UNCSA, we encourage intense curiosity, the basis of great artistic expression. Through art, we engage with diverse ideas, embrace perspectives different from our own, and expand our capacity for connection and empathy. Better than any other medium, art orients us towards the goal of listening to understand, rather than listening in order to formulate a response - and understanding is something we could use a lot more of in our society.

At a live performance, joyous laughter and unexpected tears unite an audience across all divisions.
Stephen McKinley Henderson (B.F.A. '72)

Art by its nature challenges people. Sometimes it makes us uncomfortable, but that discomfort can spark important conversations and even revelations within ourselves. Though we might not agree on a work of art, or its viewpoint, the act of participating can change us.

So, let’s challenge ourselves to connect through the arts. Attend a local performance, explore visual art from another culture, uplift artists from all walks of life and perspectives, or try creating something of your own. Because when we do, we don’t just appreciate beauty and creativity — we open ourselves to a world of understanding and empathy. This is the incredible power of the arts: to take us beyond ourselves and bring us, in all our beautiful differences, closer together.

Brian Cole
Chancellor

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November 04, 2024