Editorial: Arts in Action: Urgencies in Art and Art Education

How do artists, art educators and researchers relate their practices to the urgencies of the world? How can art make a difference in a contemporary world dominated by com plex and intense political, economic, and environmental challenges and conflicts? Are there right and wrong ways of address ing urgencies through art, research, and education? Should the arts in education be justified because of its usefulness for something else? This special issue provides insight into some responses to these ques tions. The contributions, ranging from short texts to longer texts, as well as artistic submissions, represent a rich ness and diversity that cover the fields of visual art, music, and theatre. They all relate to the questions in various ways by addressing how and why art matters, while exploring possible connections between art and societal challenges. This special issue originates from contributions from the international symposium titled 'Arts in Action—Urgencies in Art and Art Education' that was held in Kristiansand, Norway, from 8 to 10 June 2022.