The ‘Collective Voice that Could Change the World’: A Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis of Arts-Based Programming for Adults Experiencing Homelessness

Abstract

Abstract Homelessness is a global phenomenon that contributes to and exacerbates social exclusion and marginalisation. The objective of this study is to generate a rich description of the experience of participating in arts-based programming as told by adults experiencing homelessness using a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis. The synthesis includes eight studies, using direct quotes provided by fifty-three individuals in Canada, the USA and Australia. Synthesis of the eight studies results in three themes that describe the experience of participating in arts-based programming across geographic locations and art mediums: ‘arts as healing’, ‘arts as advocacy’ and ‘arts as self-empowerment’. While social workers, homelessness service providers, arts-based educators and researchers may be intuitively aware of the power of the arts, the synergistic findings of these eight articles indicate its influence among marginally housed populations. Implications and opportunities for future research are discussed.