ABOUT THE ARTS & DEMOCRACY PROJECT

The Arts & Democracy Project builds the momentum of a growing movement that links arts and culture, participatory democracy, and social justice. We support cultural organizing and cross-sector collaborations, raise the visibility of transformative work, cross-pollinate cultural practitioners with activists, organizers, and policymakers, and create spaces for reflection. 


In 2004, the Arts & Democracy Project grew out of National Voice, an effort that brought together more than 1,000 nonpartisan groups from across the country to coordinate the registration and turnout of over 5 million voters from constituencies underrepresented in the American political system. Subsequently, the Project carried out an active planning process of convening and engaging with the field to learn what has and has not been effective in linking arts and culture, civic engagement, and social justice. We co-sponsored nine convenings across the country that included a rural cultural organizer retreat, a meeting of hip-hop activists and artists, a convening of grassroots cultural activists right after the 2008 election, and a White House briefing on art and social justice.

In 2012 we are focusing on the following five inter-related objectives and strategies that support our broad mission of recognizing, complementing, supporting, and enhancing work in the field:
  1. Increase visibility: Document and make visible the diversity of work in the field that links arts, culture, participatory democracy, and social justice.
  2. Increase effectiveness: Add value to work in the field through capacity building and resources.
  3. Make connections: Connect the dots, cross-pollinating arts and social justice groups, linking networks, connecting with planners and policymakers, and engaging in movement building and state strategies.
  4. Support reflection: Create spaces to stimulate dialogue, critical thinking, and innovation.
  5. Further sustainability: Increase financial and other support for arts and culture tied to participatory democracy and social justice.
Arts & Democracy Project is a fiscally sponsored project of State Voices.

Contact us at info@artsanddemocracy.org

ARTS & DEMOCRACY PROJECT TEAM



 Caron Atlas, Director
Javiera Benavente, Cultural Organizer
Kathie deNobriga, Project Manager
Michelle Proffit, Project Coordinator

Additional consultants:
Andrea Assaf, SEIU Project Manager
amalia deloney, Cultural Organizer
Yolanda Hippensteele, communications consultant
Joan Hocky, writer
Tom Oesau, roundtable coordinator
Kristin Reed, Bridge Conversations book designer
Anusha Venkatraran, writer
Rosten Woo, web site designer and developer


PARTNERS

Alternate ROOTS, Animating Democracy, ArtHome, Center for Media Justice, Center for Rural Strategies, First Peoples Fund, Kentucky Foundation for Women, New York City Councilmember Brad Lander, MAG-Net, Opportunity Agenda, PolicyLink, Service Workers International Union (SEIU), State Voices, Urban Bush Women

FUNDING PARTNERS

Nathan Cummings Foundation, Open Society Foundations