This paper examines the feasibility of Community-Based Arts (CBA) projects and Community Cultural Development (CCD) projects as a legitimate pedagogical alternative to traditional classroom education. The first chapter explains the theoretical underpinnings of CBA and CCD, and explains the reasoning and theoretical background behind the current study. The second section reviews a variety of policy documents published within the Québec education system and addresses these types of projects in the context of the Québec curriculum. The third chapter presents five case CCD studies: three with the principal investigator as facilitator, and two additional projects conducted by others. The fourth chapter extends the discussion toward concepts arising from the current study: participatory democracy, identity, and other educational spaces. This section concludes with a discussion of the limitations of this study, and offers future directions for research projects of this nature.