Cultural Arts provide knowledge. They provide a retreat and, in some cases, they are essential to communities, society and other groups of people, celebrating various aspects of civilisation. If you’re new to cultural arts, though, it is understandable that you might not be 100% familiar with exactly what they are. Don’t worry, though, as we’re going to provide you with a handy guide to cultural arts in their most common forms.
What Are Cultural Arts?
For those not in the know, cultural arts are a form of artistic expression. These are often tied to traditions, beliefs or, indeed, the practices of a particular community, society or entire civilisation. We’re not talking about one thing here, but many different aspects which make us think, feel, discuss and enjoy. Let’s begin by looking at what is arguably the most predictable and famous form of cultural arts – the visual arts.
The Visual Arts
The visual arts are what we often consider classical art – paintings, sculptures, and other forms of craftwork. These include pottery, the creation of specific textiles, beadwork, wood carpentry, handmade figurines, glasswork, metalwork, and all manner of other artistic items and objects – even graffiti, to a degree. That’s the key, really. Visual arts generally involve items. Each “piece” is personal to its creator or creators, tells a story, and has been designed a certain way for a specific reason. Visual art can be personal, but more often than not, it has been designed to be experienced by many.
The Performing Arts
The next type of cultural arts we’ll touch on is one we’re sure you’re also familiar with – the performing arts. We’re not talking about film or television here, although, in theory, there’s no reason why they can’t be included. We’re thinking more of specific dances tied to regions, such as Spain’s flamenco, Britain’s Morris Dancing, or the Hula in Hawaii. Music also comes in the form of instruments and sounds, such as the didgeridoo of Australia, the Sitar in India, and so on. Outside of music, theatre is also a major part of the performing arts, whether we’re talking about one-man shows in the United States, the opera in Italy, or an evening of Shakespeare in the UK.
Literary Arts
The next stop on our tour of cultural art is the literary arts. We’re talking about the pure craft of storytelling, and that can come in several mediums. For instance, storytelling is often thought of as a novel or novella. It doesn’t have to be, though. The literary arts also include plays, poems, even nursery rhymes, and children’s fables.
The literary arts are sometimes responsible for some of the most successful expressions of culture, including the messaging and morals of any of the three cultural arts mentioned thus far. Just think of the world’s most famous fictional stories and the messages they send to society. If you’ve ever read George Orwell’s Nineteen-Eighty-Four, we’re sure you get the idea.
More Niched Cultural Arts
Thus far, we’ve touched on the big three – the visual, performing and literary arts. There are other cultural arts to consider. While each of these is just as important as those mentioned above, they do tend to be less commonly associated with the genre. For instance, we have the culinary arts. Here, we’re talking about recipes passed down through generations and dishes that are important to specific peoples and regions. You might think of Japanese sushi, French pastries, or Italian paste, but the truth is, the number of culinary arts is not limited to countries, with even small communities having their own cultural significance, right down to the Italian-American pizzerias of New York.
What we’re trying to get at here is that there is virtually no limit to cultural art. Whether we’re talking textiles such as the kimonos of Japan, African hairstyles or Māori tattoos, anything and everything can potentially be culturally artistic if it’s important enough to people who care.
Why Cultural Arts Are Important
The cultural arts offer a method of preservation of identity. They allow people to look back at where they came from. They offer a cultural exchange, giving other people an opportunity to learn, admire and appreciate something new. They are a celebration and expression of a cornerstone of humanity, and yes, in some cases, they are expressions of the right to protest.
The cultural arts might fit neatly into the genres we’ve mentioned above, but they can in no way be contained by them. Cultural art is what you want it to be, and everybody will, does, and should appreciate it differently. However, by sharing each other’s appreciation of cultural art, we can, in theory, learn more about how the world and different elements of society work for a more peaceful future.