Community art for violence prevention in Africa: a review of the literature
1
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
2
Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness, Cape Town, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1546
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Violence constitutes a major health and safety crisis, contributing substantially to preventable death, disability, displacement, and economic loss.¹˒² Public health approaches emphasise primary prevention, community mobilisation, and action on social determinants alongside criminal justice responses.³ Following calls for the prioritisation of Arts in Health within global policy discourse, it is important to explore their potential role in violence prevention, given their emphasis on social connection and participatory engagement.⁴˒⁵ However, the empirical evidence supporting these approaches, particularly in African and other LMIC contexts, remains limited and unsynthesised⁶˒⁷
OBJECTIVES:
To map, assess, and synthesise how community art has been used for violence prevention in Africa, and to identify implications for policy, practice, and research.
METHODS:
A narrative review with a systematic approach⁸ was conducted. Six academic databases and targeted grey literature sources were searched. Eligible studies were appraised using established mixed-methods and grey literature appraisal tools, and findings synthesised using descriptive statistics and thematic narrative analysis.
RESULTS:
Of 741 identified sources, 19 met inclusion criteria, representing all African regions. Interventions primarily addressed gender-based and collective violence, including ethno-religious conflict. Narrative edutainment (film and audio) and forum theatre were the most commonly reported approaches, showing promise in raising awareness, shifting norms, and fostering community dialogue, particularly when culturally relevant, accessible, locally led, and “transportive”.⁹ However, the evidence base was mixed. Many interventions were constrained by short duration, entrenched social norms, low visibility, and weak cross-sectoral collaboration. Few studies reported sustained behaviour change, reductions in violence, or policy impact.
CONCLUSIONS:
Despite mixed evidence, community art demonstrates potential to support early stages of violence prevention in African settings. This review highlights a mismatch between growing global policy interest in Arts in Health approaches and the current strength of the evidence base, underscoring the need for stronger multisectoral integration and more rigorous, theory-informed implementation evaluation.
Violence constitutes a major health and safety crisis, contributing substantially to preventable death, disability, displacement, and economic loss.¹˒² Public health approaches emphasise primary prevention, community mobilisation, and action on social determinants alongside criminal justice responses.³ Following calls for the prioritisation of Arts in Health within global policy discourse, it is important to explore their potential role in violence prevention, given their emphasis on social connection and participatory engagement.⁴˒⁵ However, the empirical evidence supporting these approaches, particularly in African and other LMIC contexts, remains limited and unsynthesised⁶˒⁷
OBJECTIVES:
To map, assess, and synthesise how community art has been used for violence prevention in Africa, and to identify implications for policy, practice, and research.
METHODS:
A narrative review with a systematic approach⁸ was conducted. Six academic databases and targeted grey literature sources were searched. Eligible studies were appraised using established mixed-methods and grey literature appraisal tools, and findings synthesised using descriptive statistics and thematic narrative analysis.
RESULTS:
Of 741 identified sources, 19 met inclusion criteria, representing all African regions. Interventions primarily addressed gender-based and collective violence, including ethno-religious conflict. Narrative edutainment (film and audio) and forum theatre were the most commonly reported approaches, showing promise in raising awareness, shifting norms, and fostering community dialogue, particularly when culturally relevant, accessible, locally led, and “transportive”.⁹ However, the evidence base was mixed. Many interventions were constrained by short duration, entrenched social norms, low visibility, and weak cross-sectoral collaboration. Few studies reported sustained behaviour change, reductions in violence, or policy impact.
CONCLUSIONS:
Despite mixed evidence, community art demonstrates potential to support early stages of violence prevention in African settings. This review highlights a mismatch between growing global policy interest in Arts in Health approaches and the current strength of the evidence base, underscoring the need for stronger multisectoral integration and more rigorous, theory-informed implementation evaluation.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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