The search for quality in community engagement lies at the heart of these stories by musicians and artists from five countries, who work in challenging cross-sector and cross-cultural contexts.
Their experience ranges widely from community neighbourhoods, schools and prisons to arts centres, orchestras, youth opera, music therapy, disability and dementia care. What stands out
is their passion for people and for art: there is no place for compromise.

A central theme of the book is the implications of such diverse work for the learning and development of arts practitioners. It challenges Higher Arts Education institutions to re-order their priorities and to bring community engagement in from the margins.

Peter Renshaw is a learning consultant and member of the Research Group Lifelong Learning in Music & the Arts of the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen and Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. He works and lives in London.