Art is a subdivision of culture that comprises both performing and creative arts. It brings an intangible form to life in a tangible form — from what we cannot see to what we can. Art is a medium through which we communicate.

Art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. Art in this sense is communication: it allows people from different cultures and different times to speak to each other.

Art has the power to move individuals to social action, to influence, entertain and educate. Using the arts of a cultural group in the classroom is one simple way to enrich a curriculum and make learning come alive.

Culture affects an artist’s work by shaping their worldview and the associations they hold with colour, shape, pattern, symbol, people and place. For an artist, this means the message they tell is coloured by where they come from.