An art is a special skill or craft that you can learn, such as the art of painting or the art of hair dressing. But when we talk about "The Arts", we are usually referring specifically to the creative arts - visual art, music, and the performing_arts such as theater and dance.

The arts produce imaginative and creative works that entertain, enlighten and help us to think about things in a different way. ("The arts" can also mean subjects from history to languages and literature studied at university, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree; these areas of study are also called the " humanities ".)

The Role of the Arts

Creative arts play a crucial role in modern society, although they are not always equally valued in terms of funding and status. The arts:

• act as a mirror, reflecting what's going on around us;
• comment on society, government policies, and issues;
• provide a creative outlet;
• encourage people to think about things;
• add humour and beauty to our lives.

The arts are about creating objects, images, and works that communicate a message or emotion to an audience. It might be putting on a play for a large audience, or writing a poem that someone will read on their own. The relationship between the artist and their audience is the space where a work of art is interpreted and responded to.

The arts make life interesting and colourful. If you think about it, art and artists play an important role in our everyday lives:

• the entertainment industry employs artists who work in many media - not just actors, but script writers, set and costume designers, special effects people, directors, lighting technicians and musicians - to make TV programs, movies and games;
• designers are artists who create new fashion styles and product designs, so that we can express ourselves through our clothes and enjoy everyday tools and objects that are funky and decorative as well as functional;
• the enormous music industry touches nearly everyone, from listening to music on the radio to watching music videos, buying CDs, attending live concerts, buying merchandise and magazines;
• publishing, whether it's textbooks or comics, relies on the talents of artists such as writers and illustrators;
• without architects, buildings would be boring concrete boxes; instead, we have interesting buildings as diverse as the Taj Mahal, the Empire State Building, and Sydney's Opera House.
• sometimes you can even find art in the street - performers entertain us with their music, graffiti artists use public walls to exhibit their art and political activists use street theatre to promote a cause.

It would be a pretty quiet and bland world.

What is Art?

What is art, and who has the right to define it, are very difficult questions to answer. Artists often produce works of art that are controversial, and sometimes work has been banned because it is deemed to be offensive. But what one person finds offensive, another may interpret as a powerful work of art. The measure of art is, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder.

Generally, societies have developed standards and traditions that dictate what is accepted as "art" and what is not - but part of the role of the arts is to challenge those boundaries and encourage people to look outside their comfort zone.

Different cultures around the world have developed their own artistic traditions and styles. A culture's unique arts are often used to identify and celebrate that culture, for example:

• Balinese dance
• Scottish bagpipe music
• Chinese ivory carvings
• the French Impressionist painters
• beaded and feathered costumes from Africa
• tango music and dance from Argentina.

Art is the expression of emotion, and a reflection of the world the artist lives in.

Who Makes Art?

Artists are people who develop particular artistic skills, either through training or years of work, or both. They can be musicians, who perform music, or the composer who wrote the music; visual artists who work with clay or paint, or writers who work with words.

Most of us are involved in the arts in some way or other without even thinking about it. Perhaps you play a musical instrument, take photographs, write stories or enjoy dancing; that's participating in the arts.

Artists create works of art in their chosen discipline or medium, such as opera or sculpture. The great thing about the arts is that there are so many different disciplines, there's bound to be something for everyone.

Art is made for an audience, reader or viewer, so in a way, a work of art is not finished until an audience has seen it. Even if we are not making art ourselves, our appreciation of art is the final part of the process. In this way, we are all artists.