The Power of Arts-Based Pedagogies

"As we move into the Age of Artificial Intelligence we keep our distinctive humanity through the creative arts. This volume is a wonderful compendium of how to use the creative arts to make business better."
R. Edward Freeman, Bachand University Professor, The Darden School, University of Virginia, US

"At this time, as we struggle to make sense of global dynamics that seemingly threaten the very nature of society and the planet we share, the arts, and the novel imagining they foster, could not be more critical, not only for our survival, but more essentially, for our collective flourishing. The Power of Arts-Based Pedagogies will guide leaders and learners alike in creating the world we aspire to."
Nancy J. Adler, S. Bronfman Professor Emerita in Management, McGill University, Canada

"Hardware companies have recognised for more than four decades that software brings all the devices to life. In the world of management and leadership development, however, the focus remains on "hardware", while mindset issues ("software"), are still considered as "luxury", "extra" or "interesting". I hope that this publication will provide compelling arguments for recognising the essential value of bringing management and leadership development to life".
Danica Purg, Professor, Dean of IEDC-Bled School of Management, Slovenia
"The Revolution may not be televised. But it will be danced and painted and enacted through the arts. This book gives me hope in a world where that is very much needed."
Steven S. Taylor, Professor of Leadership & Creativity, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Business School, US"Forty years ago, pioneers started exploring how arts and aesthetics play a major role in organizational life. They demonstrated it could lead to a change of mindsets towards a more humanist and holistic conception and production of value. Twenty years ago, artists and scholars started to collaborate and intervene concretely within organizations for their transformation. They never stopped, and it is time now, as does this book, to emphasize the multiplicity of experiments across all kinds of arts and disciplines, and to show how they contribute to educating and building a more sustainable society."
Philippe Mairesse,Associate Professor in Aesthetics and Organizations,Research Coordinator, Chair Art & Science for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, ICN Business School, France

"We know that arts-based learning can invoke passionate commitment to the subject matter, and it can fundamentally reshape education for sustainability. This volume concretizes this insight by offering specific examples of arts-based pedagogies in different global settings. Very useful volume for teachers and learners and managers seeking transformation to sustainability."
Dr. Paul Shrivastava, CoPresident, The Club of Rome & Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, US
"Exploring and unpacking the maximum potential of human creativity is one of the key challenges today for management educators, researchers, and practitioners. This book is an impressive collection of concepts and tools of arts-based learning which is critical for advancing creativity. A must-read for everyone involved in management development."
Valery S. Katkalo, Professor, Director, Graduate School of Business, HSE University, Russia

"This truly global volume, with contributors from 17 countries, is a great addition to the field of management education. It showcases how arts-based pedagogies can deepen learning, build sustainability mindsets, and prepare future-ready, responsible leaders."Ajit Parulekar, Director, Goa Institute of Management, India

"The sustainability crisis demands urgent, all-in action and fresh approaches. This book offers inspiring illustrations of how art-based pedagogy can open minds, spark sustainable innovation, and fuel transformative change. It’s a hands-on invitation for educators to broaden their teaching methods and embrace new tools to increase real-world impact. I’m excited to take on this challenge."
Katell Le Goulven, Executive Director, Hoffmann Institute, INSEAD, France

"An inspiring and practical guide for embedding empathy and transformation in sustainability education. A must-read for leaders committed to reshaping institutions through arts-based learning."
Katrin Muff, Director, the Institute for Business Sustainability, Switzerland

"This volume is a compelling call to infuse business classrooms with creativity, emotion, and imagination. But it’s not just about creating more engaging learning environments. The book shows how art-based pedagogies can be used to develop essential skills and transform mindsets—and cultivate the kind of business leaders we need for a more sustainable future."
Dan LeClair, CEO of the Global Business School Network (GBSN), US

"This book brings art-based pedagogy into the spotlight, showing how business school faculty members can transform students. It’s wonderful to see the very many ways in which art can make students more thoughtful, creative, and caring."
Pratima (Tima) Bansal, Canada Research Chair in Business Sustainability Ivey Business School, Canada
"If we are to create a world in which people and nature not only survive but also thrive, we will need creative people who bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. To awaken this creativity and insight, the arts have a powerful role in education – as The Power of Arts-Based Pedagogy shows – going beyond rational, prescriptive approaches towards more intuitive, exploratory learning. This book presents a menu of inspiring ideas and practical tools for educators to use in shaping the next generation of leaders."
Wayne Visser, Visiting Professor, Antwerp Management School, Author of Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy (2022), Belgium

"The Power of Arts-Based Pedagogies inspires arts-based classroom innovation to help learners at all stages and in multiple management disciplines truly engage with issues of ecological and social sustainability creatively. It will be highly useful for anyone teaching a sustainability-oriented course in multiple of the management disciplines."
Sandra Waddock, Professor of Management, Galligan Chair of Strategy,Boston College, Carroll School of Management, US
"The Power of Arts-Based Pedagogies shows how creativity can transform sustainability education. Art fosters empathy, reflection, and interdisciplinary thinking—qualities business schools urgently need. This book is a compelling call to rethink teaching beyond traditional boundaries. A must-read for educators and changemakers seeking to inspire lasting mindset shifts."
Lisa Fröhlich, Chair, PRME DACH Chapter, AOM MED Ambassador Program;Founder, Ispira Think Tank, Germany

"Ever wondered how art-based pedagogies could drive systemic transformation? This book will inspire you to get creative yourself, in your teaching and beyond and change mindsets on the way!"
Petra Molthan-Hill, Professor of Sustainable Management and Education for Sustainable Development, Nottingham Business School, Co-Chair UN PRME Working Group on Climate Change & the Environment, UK

"Why one more book on Arts-Based Pedagogy? Because in these times of complexity and systemic violence, we all need critical and creative tools to ask appropriate questions and imagine alternative futures. This book is not only welcome, but also vital to a true paradigm shift, in academia and in society. Congratulations to the authors who pioneer a necessary direction in Arts-Based studies: the broadening of topics, contexts and methodologies into areas of burning interest."
Tatiana Chemi, Associate Professor, Department of Culture and Learning, Aalborg University, Denmark

"Music, and other arts, are a universal language, with power to unite us as humans. Just as music cannot be learned without practice, a well-rounded business school education for future leaders is incomplete without the arts. I celebrate this book for breaking the academic silos to bring engaging, artistic pedagogy to business schools, and the real world of practice."
Jyoti Bachati, Full Professor at Saint Mary's College of California, US

"Arts-based methods empower students and educators to engage in experiential sustainability learning. This book offers a rich collection of creative tools and global insights, showcasing how artistic approaches inspire transformative action. The book is a valuable resource and a source of inspiration for anyone seeking innovative ways to foster change through sustainability education."
Hanna Lehtimäki, Professor of Innovation Management, University of Eastern Finland, Finland

"The transformation of management education urgently requires overcoming "the separation thesis". The spirit and letter of sustainability must be integrated into the DNA of all disciplines, but we need new and unexpected tools. Arts-based pedagogy is a great choice. Thanks to the authors of this wonderful book, we know not only WHAT, but also HOW."
Yury Blagov, Director, Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, Graduate School of Management, Saint-Petersburg University, Russia

"This compelling volume reveals how creative pedagogic practices can catalyse profound educational and societal transformation. Rooted in the ethos of inclusive pedagogic design processes, it offers vital pathways for equitable, sustainable learning. At a time of global uncertainty and polarisation, it makes a powerful case for creative learning as a force to reshape our shared future"
Anastasios Maragiannis, Professor of Inclusive Design, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Creative Education), University for the Creative Arts, UK

"If business as usual got us into this mess, art may help get us out. This bold, hopeful book shows how the arts can rewire what and how we teach—for a more sustainable, just, and imaginative future."
Jacco van Uden, Professor of Change Management, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands

"The Power of Arts-Based Pedagogies is not just an academic resource but a call to joyful, meaningful, and transformative education. The vibrancy of this interdisciplinary treasure trove lies in the real-world examples and heartfelt narratives, while its visceral impact is found in the invitation to view art as a catalyst for change at every level—personal, communal, and global. For educators, students, and sustainability advocates, this book is a beacon of inspiration and a roadmap for the future of learning."
Elena Dubovitskaya, Director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Russia

"A beautifully conceptualized and deeply insightful book. This bold change-maker is certainly one of the more daring steps towards the achievement of an interdisciplinary education for the future. It represents not only a powerful guide for instructors but a beacon of collaboration and togetherness among disciplines and sciences."
Miguel Ignacio Córdova Espinoza, Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Leadership, Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico

This book beautifully brings art into business education as a way of reconnecting with a time-tested approach to learning, creativity, and making sense of the world. It’s a timely reminder that artistic expression can shape thoughtful, reflective, and innovative leaders in industry and policy committed to sustainability."
Aušrinė Šilenskytė, Assistant Professor & Program Manager, University of Vaasa, Finland

"The Futures we aspire to be part of are shaped not only by the creativity, imagination and wonder that continue to define the human condition. Futures are also shaped by the ways in which art is deployed and art-methods and interventions are designed and supported to ignite these dimensions of the human condition and much more. Artistic modes of expression reveal the sensuous learning that enables transformations at the individual and collective levels which in the case of sustainability becomes essential to how the Anthropocene is marked not by extinction but by flourishing! This book provides an excellent array of international contributions that offer fresh insights that invite us to not only experiment more with learning differently. They also show us what is possible when responsible management education entangles the arts in the curriculum as well as, in cultivating humanity. This is what makes this book so special. It offers an opportunity to explore anew what becoming human means when we foster sustainability through the arts."
Elena P. Antonacopoulou, Professor, American University of of Beirut Mediterraneo, Cyprus, and GNOSIS Institute, UK