Arts and culture are increasingly becoming practical tools to promote social cohesion, coexistence and reconciliation. As several successful initiatives have demonstrated, arts and culture can help stir healthy conversations on difficult matters such as intercommunal tensions and political violence, and bring about positive change to local communities. They also have the potential to hinder barriers for dialogue and to create a safe space for sharing different narratives.

Theatre, in particular, is believed to be a medium and a tool for local communities to discuss intercommunal issues, present different narratives of conflict and discuss social injustices.

Around the world, several international organisations have used art and culture to promote social cohesion and combat hate speech. several local initiatives that use art as a tool to deliver a message of peace and social cohesion. 

‘Art for art’s sake’ is an obsolete expression for peacebuilders and social innovators. To those pioneers, art is a tool, a medium and a method to bring about positive change to their communities.