Making Waves

A Participatory Action Arts Service Field Study by Clemmons Family Farm
Video: Advancing Health Equity for Rural and Under-Represented Artists through Participatory Action Research, Policy, and Cross-Sectoral Collaboration. 2025 University of Vermont Health Equity Summit video-poster presentation by Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. 
Making Waves is a participatory action research field study that builds on Clemmons Family Farm's prior research to understand what it takes to help under-represented artists, including those of the African diaspora, to thrive in Vermont.  Utilizing a mixed-method approach, this new study investigates how cross-sectoral strategies can improve social capital, wellness, and health equity outcomes for artists in rural and predominantly white environments. The study will generate practical tools and recommendations for organizations working in the arts, public health, and social justice to collaborate effectively to achieve these improved outcomes.

Research Objectives:

Learn...
  • artists’ specific health challenges related to navigating Vermont’s health services and systems;
  • the most effective community-based and/or cross-sectoral interventions to promote health equity among under-represented artists in Vermont, including those of the African diaspora;
  • ​the criteria and process to develop effective and equitable organizational partnerships;
  • public policy and public agency supports and barriers for artists' thriving; and
  • organizations’ perceptions of artist service organizations-including those led by people of the African diaspora- and the value of their assets, time, and labor in the context of equitable partnerships.
​Act...
  • by co-designing and co-delivering wellness services supporting artists' professional development, health, and social justice needs.
Share...
  • the process, learnings, actionable strategies, and outcomes of building cross-sectoral organizational collaborations that aim to help under-represented artists to thrive.

This research and video were funded by The Wallace Foundation.  Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.