Change the Story / Change the World

Robert Farid KarimiThe "inbetween" is often ignored. It is also the juicy territory that this week's guest, comedian, chef, poet, educator, and activist Robert Farid Karimi has been investigating over the last couple of decades. like many of our guests Robert, who is also known as https://we.kaoticgood.com/ (Mero Cocinero, Farid Mercury, the Peoples Chef), and even in some quarters, Betty Crocker's radical heir apparent, Robert is not easily pegged. In the conversation that follows we explore some of the stories, ideas, and questions that animate his work. How can humor become a bridge in a conflict-ridden community? What is the role of the fool and gossip in the post truth era? What can community organizers learn from Mel Brooks and Cheech and Chong. Along the way we hear great stories and have a little fun. Delicious QuotesI feel for people who feel that they themselves are bridges because this, it's not easy work to hold, two sides of earth so that others can cross. A lot of times people they're not appreciating everything it took to keep everybody up. …we say in Spanish, "chesme", gossip. And talking about how immigrants, how we transmit the information, especially when you come from cultures, where the official news is being controlled like Iran and Guatemala, like gossip is powerful. Chesme is powerful. So, I became this bridge by valuing the words of others as truth, Humor to me was never about insulting or bringing others down. Humor for me was always, "How can you lift up the room? We've had a bad day. Why you gotta be a downer?" And I think growing up, that's why I valued it so much. That's why it became part of my toolkit. They brought me in to General Mills, …and had me cooking where the Betty Crocker kitchen ladies cook. They stayed. The women who had worked all day stayed because they wanted to have a good time and laugh. My mother still says that's my best gig I've ever had cause I'm at the home of freaking Betty Crocker. I changed Acting One so that it would incorporate play. I want them to start seeing their bodies as this thing, that's taking it all in and that they are not just actors. They are not just performers they are in the in-between. They are storytellers. And to make these stories, they need to understand their relationship to the system of life. And the final of the classes, they get to make fun of the class. They get to use all the skills to make fun of anything I've done, because the rationale is for me, humor is a great way to show that because you got to know what you know, to make fun of it. I couldn't just walk into a community and go, “I'm going to save you all because I'm a person of color. Who's funny.” No. I had to go back to the kid that was listening, ...to the folks in the community. ..Then I could see how I could be of service. Notable Mentionshttps://we.kaoticgood.com/ (Mero Cocinero, Farid Mercury, the Peoples Chef): Just three of Mr. Karimi's many alter egos. https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm/listen (Change the Story / Change the World): This podcast, a Chronicle of Art & Community Transformation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa (lAfrika Bambaataa): Lance Taylor (born in April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English (/ˌæfrɪkə bæmˈbɑːtə/)),https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa#cite_note-2 ([2])https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa#cite_note-oxfordmusiconline.com-3 ([3]) is an American https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ (DJ), rapper, and producer from the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bronx (South Bronx), New York.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa#cite_note-allmusic_guide-4 ([4])https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa#cite_note-oxfordmusiconline.com-3 ([3]) He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro_(music) (electro) tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of... Support this podcast

Jill Sonke is a creative healer in service to a community of doctors, nurses, artists, educators, and most of all, patients on a journey that reunites the arts and medicine in their age-old roles as healing partners. BIOJill is director of the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida (UF), and is currently serving as Senior Advisor to the CDC Vaccine Confidence and Demand Team on the COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Task Force. She is also an affiliated faculty member in the UF School of Theatre & Dance, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, the Center for African Studies, the STEM Translational Communication Center, and the One Health Center. Jill serves on the editorial board for Arts & Health journal and as a consulting editor for Health Promotion Practice journal. She is also director of the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab at UF, and the national initiative, Creating Health Communities: Arts + Public Health in America.  Dr. Sonke studied dance at Interlochen Arts Academy, the Florida State University, in London, Paris, and Athens with teachers of the Horton and Duncan techniques including Bella Lewitsky, Lynda Davis, Milton Meyers, Joy Kellman, Lori Belilove, Julia Levine, and Hortense Koluris. She has been a principle dancer and soloist with Lori Belilove & the Isadora Duncan Dance Company in New York and a guest performer and choreographer with Dance Alive! and Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theatre. With 27+ years of experience and leadership in arts in health, Dr. Sonke is active in research, teaching, and international cultural exchange. Her current research focuses on the arts and health communication, the arts in public health, and the effects of music on cost and quality of care in emergency medicine. She is the recipient of a New Forms Florida Fellowship Award, a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship Award, an Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, a UF Internationalizing the Curriculum Award, a UF Most Outstanding Service Learning Faculty Award, a UF Public Health Champions award, a UF Cross-Campus Faculty Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and over 300 grants for her programs and research at the University of Florida. Delicious QuotesWe were very fortunate to be in an institution with leaders who understood that the arts fit and we're important in a healthcare setting. That people should have the ability to engage creatively to make that experience of healthcare better, not just patients, but staff, and visitors and others. I remember going into rooms and introducing myself, you know, " dancer in residence," and people would furrow their brow and say, “I'm in the hospital, that doesn't belong here.” … Then the view of our program kind of evolved into “It's really nice. … it's really lovely.” And then after a bit more time, the overarching recognition was that this is really important …because our, our care providers we're recognizing that artists are really crucial members of the interprofessional care team. We interviewed all 31 members of the nursing staff on a medical surgical unit over a period of about 18 months to learn about how they perceived the effects of the work of artists in residence on their unit. …So, we learned that nurses recognized the benefits of engagement in the arts for their patients. They were asking the artists to come in when their patients needed distraction and relaxation, those sorts of things. … from a clinical perspective, they noticed that blood oxygen saturation. It would go up. That wasn't the focus of our study. I want to be clear, but observationally, they were noting the clinical things like that. (Dr. Daisy Fancourt) has been able to, to articulate very significant associations between arts and cultural participation in health. For example, people over the age of 50 who go to museums or galleries, … just... Support this podcast

Henry Frank was rotting in prison alone with no escape. Then, everything changed. In our conversation we talk about the heavy lift of imagining a different future, becoming an artist, discovering true friendship, and embracing his Yurok and Pomo cultures. Delicious QuotesAnd I was like, I refuse to die in prison. And from that point forward, I started my journey of introspection through the arts, through education, through workshops, through self-help groups to really become comfortable with the ugliness that I had at that time, and really confronted and release it by talking about it. So, I started learning more about my culture all because, I want to put these things into my painting, which opened up this box that I didn't even know it was in there that was empty. And then it just started filling up. And in my case, it really helped me connect back to my roots, to my culture, to my heritage, and to give me that thirst for more knowledge of where I came from and the history of my people. I was just thinking like, how did we lose our language? … And when I'm in the sweat lodge it's connected for me. And it's just man, the brutality. That my people, indigenous people, not just here, what they had to go through to be afraid to speak their own language, to be afraid, to do their own ceremonies, to be afraid to show who their children are so they can't beat them and make them do something. It was just, it was a mind opening. It's oh, this man cares about me... cause he knew how much I cared about him. He was my elder and my mentor and my teacher. And he was the one who changed my mind about the outside. And I'm just like, wow, I never had a friend before, a real friend. Don't go in thinking that you're going to change, somebody, and don't go in thinking you're gonna save somebody and don't go in with judgment, I did that for 35 years of my life and it got me into prison with a life sentence.  Hey, none of us are trash. None of us are unredeemable. … if you give us the opportunities and you give us the right environment and you give us the right teachers that we all, can be better. We can all evolve, and we can all learn how to be better people… I have really benefited from non-violent communication. Learning about how not to be violent with yourself, with your thoughts and how to really cherish express and just honor what you're feeling in a moment… Notable Mentionshttps://www.marinindian.com/ (The Museum of the American Indian): “Located in Marin County and situated on a site of an actual Miwok Village, the Museum is dedicated to providing the people of Northern California with programs and exhibits that deepen understanding and appreciation of Native American cultures.” https://www.yuroktribe.org/ (Yurok) People: “The mission of the Yurok Tribe is to exercise the aboriginal and sovereign rights of the Yurok People to continue forever our Tribal traditions of self-governance, cultural and spiritual preservation, stewardship of Yurok lands, waters and other natural endowments, balanced social and economic development, peace and reciprocity, and respect for the dignity and individual rights of all persons living within the jurisdiction of the Yurok Tribe, while honoring our Creator, our ancestors and our descendants.”  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomo (Pomo) People: “The Pomo are an https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_California%22%20%5Co%20%22Indigenous%20peoples%20of%20California (indigenous people of California). The historical Pomo territory in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_California%22%20%5Co%20%22Northern%20California (Northern California) was large, bordered by the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Coast%22%20%5Co%20%22Pacific%20Coast (Pacific Coast) to the west, extending inland to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear_Lake,_California%22%20%5Co%20%22Clear%20Lake,%20California (Clear Lake), and mainly between... Support this podcast

Jan Cohen-Cruz has given a lot to the field of arts-based community development. By that, I mean that there's a significant body of academic and community-based artwork, scholarship, teaching, and organizing that are absolutely covered with their fingerprints. BIOJan Cohen-Cruz was the founding editor of http://public.imaginingamerica.org/ (Public: A Journal) of Imagining America. She directed Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life (2007-12), and for 28 years before that, was a professor at NYU, directing a minor in applied theatre and initiating socially-engaged projects and courses. She wrote Engaging Performance: Theatre as Call and Response and Local Acts: Community‑Based Performance in the US. She edited Radical Street Performance and co‑edited Playing Boal: Theatre, Therapy, Activism and A Boal Companion. Jan was also a University Professor at Syracuse University. In 2012, she received the Association for Theatre in Higher Education's Award for Leadership in Community-Based Theatre and Civic Engagement. Here latest book, https://nyupress.org/9781613321546/meeting-the-moment/ (Meeting the Moment: Socially Engaged Theater, 1965 To 2020) written with https://nyupress.org/author/rad-pereira (Rad Pereira) will published by https://www.newvillagepress.org/about-us/mission-statement/ (New Village Press )in May 2022. Notable Mentions (in order of appearance)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Boal (Augusto Boal,) was a Brazilian theatre practitioner, drama theorist, and political activist. He was the founder of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_Oppressed (Theatre of the Oppressed), a theatrical form originally used in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Party_of_the_Left (radical left) popular education movements. Boal served one term as a Vereador (the Brazilian equivalent of a city councillor) in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro) from 1993 to 1997, where he developed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_Oppressed#Legislative_theatre (legislative theatre).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Boal#cite_note-PTO-1 ([1]) https://imaginingamerica.org/ (Imagining America:) “The Imagining America consortium (IA) brings together scholars, artists, designers, humanists, and organizers to imagine, study, and enact a more just and liberatory ‘America' and world. Working across institutional, disciplinary, and community divides, IA strengthens and promotes public scholarship, cultural organizing, and campus change that inspires collective imagination, knowledge-making, and civic action on pressing public issues.” https://public.imaginingamerica.org/about/ (Public): “Public is a peer-reviewed, multimedia e-journal focused on humanities, arts, and design in public life. It aspires to connect what we can imagine with what we can do. We are interested in projects, pedagogies, resources, and ideas that reflect rich engagements among diverse participants, organizations, disciplines, and sectors.” https://nyupress.org/9781613321546/meeting-the-moment/ (Meeting the Moment Socially Engaged Theater, 1965 To 2020): https://nyupress.org/author/jan-cohen-cruz (Jan Cohen-Cruz) and https://nyupress.org/author/rad-pereira (Rad Pereira): Curated stories from over 75 interviews and informal exchanges offer insight into the field and point out limitations due to discrimination and unequal opportunity for performance artists in the United States over the past 55 years. In this work, performers, often unknown beyond their immediate audience, articulate diverse influences. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Open_Theater (Open Theater): The Open Theater was an https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experimental_theatre (experimental theatre) group active from 1963 to 1973. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial (Franz Kafka's The Trial:) The Trial is a novel written by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka (Franz Kafka) between 1914... Support this podcast

EpisodePull back the curtain on one of Salty's works and there's no telling what you will find -- a film, a party, an intimate discussion, a festival, a newspaper, a concert, a feast, and more often than, not an invitation to decide whether you want to participate as an audience member. or as part of the show. BIOSalty Xi Jie Ng co-creates semi-fictional paradigms for the real and imagined lives of humans within the poetics of the intimate vernacular. Often playing with relational possibilities, her interdisciplinary work is manifested from fantasy scores for the present and future that propose a collective re-imagining through humor, care, subversion, play, discomfort, a celebration of the eccentric, and a commitment to the deeply personal. Her practice dances across forms such as brief encounter, collaborative space, variety show, poem, conversation, meal, publication, film, performance.  As a citizen scholar of the cosmos, Xi Jie explores aging, intimacy, food, lineage, identity, ritual and power, while questioning who artists are and what gets to be called art. Her research of everyday as performance bears fruit as tender presentations somewhere between art and life. Centering the body and its histories, she constructs portrayals of self and space that are ambiguous, raw, dream-like, absurd, mundane. At heart she is a cosmic clown, floating at the intersections of wonder and melancholy, existential meditation and devotional nonsense. Notable Mentionshttp://www.crci.art/ (Columbia River Correctional Institution, Creative Initiatives:) Columbia River Creative Initiatives is a series of artist run programs and classes held at the Columbia River Correctional Institution, a minimum security prison in Northeast Portland, Oregon. http://www.fredarmisen.com/ (Fred Armisen): is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He is best known as a cast member on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live (Saturday Night Live) from 2002 until 2013.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Armisen#cite_note-splitsider-3 ([3]) With his comedy partner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Brownstein (Carrie Brownstein), Armisen was the co-creator and co-star of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Film_Channel (IFC) sketch comedy series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portlandia_(TV_series) (Portlandia). http://www.crci.art/the-inside-show/ (The Inside Show): is a variety show produced at Columbia River Creative Initiatives, an artist-led creative platform in Columbia River Correctional Institution, a minimum security prison in Portland, Oregon. The show is produced in prison, where inmates take on roles of host, performer, writer, and cameraperson. This robust collaboration of eccentric possibilities challenges perceptions of incarcerated individuals and what happens ‘on the inside'. The show's content includes Microwave Magic— a cooking segment where inmates showcase genius ways of making gourmet meals with minimal ingredients and a microwave; comedy sketches; a goofy sports roundtable; art segments; poignant discussions; braiding demos; musical acts and more. Shttp://www.saltythunder.net/ (alty Xi Jie Ng: The Cosmos Wait for You): Salty's web site.  https://artswok.org/artswok/ (ArtsWok Collaborative) (Singapore): We are an arts-based community development organisation that recognizes the creativity and agency within individuals and communities to generate change.We believe in collaborating to imagine and develop thriving communities in a sustainable society. Since 2012, we have done this through the creative producing of innovative projects that demonstrate the power of the arts for change, the capability development of growing practitioners in our field, and researching and advocating for arts-based community development. https://artswok.org/resources/articles/being-ourselves-together-a-kind-of-alchemy/ (Being Ourselves Together) (Salty's essay): “In sharing and holding space with other Support this podcast

In this episode we continue down the path of the provocative and unexpected with Salty Xi Jie Ng. Along the way we will encounter the secret lives of art gallery security staff, a cooking show called Microwave Magic, bunion fetishes, and a very funny group of incarcerated artists.  Support this podcast

BIOBeverly Naidus's art life has straddled the socially engaged margins of the art world, artful activism collaborations, and community-based art projects. Her audience participatory installations, artists books, photo-text and multimedia projects have dealt with the anxieties of being unemployed, nightmares about nuclear war, ways to transform body hate, using consumerism to numb ourselves from the extractive insanity of our capitalist economy, how grief and gratitude weave together in the climate emergency, the epigenetic trauma of living under white oppression and the joyful resilience of the marginalized. She often collaborates to develop creative strategies that might heal trauma, to plant seeds of activism, and imagine different outcomes. Early on, she discovered that her vulnerable story telling could generate stories from others, sometimes catalyzing positive actions. She has shared her work in city streets, alternative spaces, public parks, university galleries, community centers, and major museums. Her work has been written about in many books and journals and has developed an international following. After vibrant chapters in the New York and Los Angeles art worlds, including fruitful periods in other parts of North America, she has made a home in the Pacific Northwest since 2003.  Naidus received her BA from Carleton College, and an MFA with a full teaching fellowship from the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design. She taught art as a subversive activity at NYC museums, the Institute for Social Ecology, California State University, Long Beach where she had tenure, Goddard College, Hampshire College and Carleton College. From 2003 until 2020, she was the only tenured artist on the UW Tacoma faculty where she shaped an innovative, interdisciplinary studio arts curriculum in art for social change and healing. She is the author of Arts for Change: Teaching Outside the Frame (a book that helped to shift studio arts curriculum in many places). She has written & published many essays on eco-art and social practice as well as a few works of speculative fiction, and she is currently writing, Rewilding Our Muses: Creative Strategies for Navigating the “End of the World” and is looking for a publisher. While co-directing the non-profit, SEEDS (Social Ecology Education and Demonstration School) with her husband, Dr. Bob Spivey, they are leading workshops online with a focus on art that deals with climate and racial justice and have formed an international collective. They are currently facilitating an in-person “story hive project” with neighbors and are planning more “pandemic processing and dreaming into the future we want” art workshops to happen in coming months. Her solo show, “The Dead Ocean Scrolls and other Possible Futures” will be on exhibit at the Tacoma Community College Gallery in November 2021. For more information visit her website: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.beverlynaidus.net_&d=DwMGaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=fjqqkt_aJODNqO9V7birNCXSQUqgv0rUaeoIZREz7K8&m=BH1HxfXYDljXq-DVVmgymPgtHbh3Y5cVweinbUPmUEI&s=jRMOSIFOoTc4E3j30k3Gc4cNI9TPP195JNn3yegO4fw&e= (www.beverlynaidus.net), Instagram: #utopias4all Facebook: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_groups_92685388277&d=DwMGaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=fjqqkt_aJODNqO9V7birNCXSQUqgv0rUaeoIZREz7K8&m=BH1HxfXYDljXq-DVVmgymPgtHbh3Y5cVweinbUPmUEI&s=IuF_RynGdRsZMCRT-KuMfFGmzk6CmTgPeWO_EBqxyC0&e= (https://www.facebook.com/groups/92685388277) or Beverly Naidus https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_utopias4all&d=DwMGaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=fjqqkt_aJODNqO9V7birNCXSQUqgv0rUaeoIZREz7K8&m=BH1HxfXYDljXq-DVVmgymPgtHbh3Y5cVweinbUPmUEI&s=q3RmKWmnOdufdzrJCtiLU93irA-r-oUfXgGwOkCWsJo&e=... Support this podcast

Needless to say, this year has been both odd and extraordinary. Odd? --- Well, Pick your poison. Extraordinary? --- Because we spent the year having amazing conversations with dozens of creative change agents who are kicking ass making a real difference in the upside-down world we live in. These conversations have helped us at the Center for the Study of Art & Community manage the lurking shadows and have sparked some new ideas and even optimism. We're excited to be starting our second season on February 2, but in the meantime we thought it might be nice to revisit some of our most popular past episodes. Next up is Normando Ismay, The Loving Trickster. After our initial airing of this episode, we received dozens of emails thanking us for pulling back the curtain on what one listener described as "the wonderfully vibrant and wacky alternative Bizzoso Universe. A place we all need to visit over and over in these grey and uncertain times." So, we invite you to sit back, have a listen, and hitch a ride on Normando's Bizzoso Universe. Normando Ismay – A Loving TricksterIn this episode, Normando Ismay introduces us to ephemeral places like Chilecito and the Mattress Factory. Cafes Beirut. Bizzoso and Success, and an extraordinary cast of characters. that includes Papa Bizzoso, the one-time child, preacher Contralabias, the smuggler, the Last Inca, Pedro Borjehas. And Danimite the drug dealer who succomes in the legendary Atlanta crack attack. BIONormando Ismay was born in the city of All the Saints of the New Rioja in northwest Argentina. As a young adult, he came to the United States, settling in Atlanta to pursue a career as a visual artist. Since then, he has worked in a variety of media including metal, painting, sculpture and installation art. He built a barn-like structure in his backyard and began the operation of the Little Beirut Art Space, a gallery/performance venue for visual art exhibits, poetry readings, storytelling, film, music and dance. At this time, he also began an integration of visual and performing art, combining Andean flutes, drums and stories of magical realism into large- and small-scale performances and performance installations. Normando creates work in Spanish, English and in a bilingual blending. Some of his works include “The Last Inca”, about Pedro de Bohorquez who passes as an Inca and controls northwest Argentina; “Contralabias”, about a North American smuggler, the invention of lipstick and the birth of Argentina.   Normando's large-scale performance installations accommodate other performing artists and combine paintings, signage, sculptures, video projections, masks, seating, lighting and a stage. Café Bizzoso, Café Cultural de Chamblee, The Condor's Next Hotel, Bannaland, The Mattress Factory Lounge and Dumpsite, to name a few.  Normando's work has been presented throughout Atlanta and the southeast, as well as in New York, Argentina and Europe. The New York Times, High Performance, the Atlanta Constitution, Art Papers, Mundo Hispanico, and other publications have written about his work. He has received grants from the City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Fulton County Arts Council, Georgia Council for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1991 he received the Paul Robeson award in Cultural Democracy. Threshold Questions and Delicious QuotesWhat is Cafe Bezzoso? Well, https://www.normando.biz/slideshow (Cafe Bizzoso), it was a traveling performance space, an art installation specific to the site where I was creating it. Bizzoso came out of a proposal that I made to the Arts Festival of Atlanta. They had invited me to perform in this huge stage. … And it's like me and my solo storytelling act and my public is like twenty feet away from me like no intimacy possible because of that. So, I made him a proposal to build a small performance venue for storyteller's poets. and like that, and they liked the

Pangea World Theater spent its 25th anniversary year helping their Minneapolis community heal the wounds and sort through the ashes left in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. But this mending and reckoning dance was nothing new because Pangea's work is intrinsic to the story of this place-- It's struggles.-- It's beauty-- It's resilience. This is the first of two episodes recounting Pangea's transformational history and impact. ANNOUNCING https://www.artandcommunity.com/copy-of-podcast (THE CHANGE THE STORY COLLECTION) A LIBRARY OF CHANGEtheSTORY/CHANGEtheWorld EPISODES Arts-based community development comes in many flavors: dancers, and painters working with children and youth; poets and potters collaborating with incarcerated artists: cultural organizers in service to communities addressing racial injustice, all this and much, much more.  Many of our listeners have told us they would like to dig deeper into art and change stories that focus on specific issues, constituencies, or disciplines. Others have shared that they are using the podcast as a learning resource and would appreciate categories and cross-references for our stories.  In response you we have curated episode collections in six arenas: JUSTICE ARTS * THEATER: PERFORMING CHANGE * CULTURAL ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE CHILDREN, YOUTH & LEARNING * TRAINING COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS * MUSIC OF TRANSFORMATION https://www.artandcommunity.com/copy-of-podcast (CHECK IT OUT)​BIO'sMeena Natarajan is a playwright and director and the Artistic and Executive Director of Pangea World Theater, a progressive, international ensemble space that creates at the intersection of art, equity and social justice. Meena has co-curated and designed many of Pangea World Theater's professional and community-based programs. She has written at least ten full-length works for Pangea, ranging from adaptations of poetry and mythology to original works dealing with war, spirituality, personal and collective memory. Her play, Etchings in the Sand co-created with dancer Ananya Chattterjea has been published by Routledge in a volume called Contemporary Plays by Women of Color: The Second Edition.   Dipankar Mukherjee is the Artistic Director of Pangea World Theater, where he has led the organization since its inception in 1995. As a director, he has worked professionally in India, England, Canada and the United States. His aesthetics have evolved through his commitment to social justice, equity and deep spirituality. Dipankar received a Humphrey Institute Fellowship to Salzburg and has been a Ford Foundation delegate to India and Lebanon. He is a recipient of a Bush Leadership Fellowship to study non-violent and peaceful methodologies in India and South Africa. Dipankar facilitates processes that disrupt colonial, racist and patriarchal modalities of working.EPISODE 41: Notable Mentionshttps://www.pangeaworldtheater.org/ (Pangea World Theater): Pangea World Theater builds bridges across multiple cultures and creates sacred and intersectional spaces. We create authentic spaces for real conversations across race, class and gender. Through a nuanced exploration of privilege, our own and others, we craft ensemble-based processes with a global perspective. Through art, theater and creative organizing we strive for a just world where people treat each other with honor and respect. We believe that artists are seers giving voice and language to the world we envision.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natya_Shastra (The Nāṭya Śāstra) is notable as an ancient encyclopedic treatise on the arts,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natya_Shastra#cite_note-GuyBeckp138-2 ([2])https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natya_Shastra#cite_note-Schwartz2004p12-8 ([8]) one which has influenced dance, music and literary traditions in...

In https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm/episode/episode-40-pangea-world-theater-chapter-1 (Episode 40) Dipankar Mukherjee, and Meena Natarajan discussed their work around issues of race and justice. In this second half, we asked: How can Pangea, a small community-based cultural institution punching way above its weight, maintain the power and integrity of its community building work amidst the chaos and uncertainty of contemporary life in America? Pangea World Theater spent its 25th anniversary year helping their Minneapolis community heal the wounds and sort through the ashes left in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. But this mending and reckoning dance was nothing new because Pangea's work is intrinsic to the story of this place-- It's struggles.-- It's beauty-- It's resilience. ANNOUNCING https://www.artandcommunity.com/copy-of-podcast (THE CHANGE THE STORY COLLECTION)A LIBRARY OF CHANGE the STORY/CHANGE the World EPISODESArts-based community development comes in many flavors: dancers, and painters working with children and youth; poets and potters collaborating with incarcerated artists: cultural organizers in service to communities addressing racial injustice, all this and much, much more.  Many of our listeners have told us they would like to dig deeper into art and change stories that focus on specific issues, constituencies, or disciplines. Others have shared that they are using the podcast as a learning resource and would appreciate categories and cross-references for our stories.  In response you we have curated episode collections in six arenas: JUSTICE ARTS * THEATER: PERFORMING CHANGE * CULTURAL ORGANIZING FOR CHANGE CHILDREN, YOUTH & LEARNING * TRAINING COMMUNITY ARTS LEADERS * MUSIC OF TRANSFORMATION https://www.artandcommunity.com/copy-of-podcast (CHECK IT OUT)​Episode 41 BIO'sMeena Natarajan is a playwright and director and the Artistic and Executive Director of Pangea World Theater, a progressive, international ensemble space that creates at the intersection of art, equity and social justice. Meena has co-curated and designed many of Pangea World Theater's professional and community-based programs. She has written at least ten full-length works for Pangea, ranging from adaptations of poetry and mythology to original works dealing with war, spirituality, personal and collective memory. Her play, Etchings in the Sand co-created with dancer Ananya Chattterjea has been published by Routledge in a volume called Contemporary Plays by Women of Color: The Second Edition.   Dipankar Mukherjee is the Artistic Director of Pangea World Theater, where he has led the organization since its inception in 1995. As a director, he has worked professionally in India, England, Canada and the United States. His aesthetics have evolved through his commitment to social justice, equity and deep spirituality. Dipankar received a Humphrey Institute Fellowship to Salzburg and has been a Ford Foundation delegate to India and Lebanon. He is a recipient of a Bush Leadership Fellowship to study non-violent and peaceful methodologies in India and South Africa. Dipankar facilitates processes that disrupt colonial, racist and patriarchal modalities of working.EPISODE 41: Notable Mentionshttps://www.pangeaworldtheater.org/ (Pangea World Theater): Pangea World Theater builds bridges across multiple cultures and creates sacred and intersectional spaces. We create authentic spaces for real conversations across race, class and gender. Through a nuanced exploration of privilege, our own and others, we craft ensemble-based processes with a global perspective. Through art, theater and creative organizing we strive for a just world where people treat each other with honor and respect. We believe that artists are seers giving voice and language to the world we...

In this episode we visit with storied Hollywood director Jeremy Kagan, whose career has proved that yes, the power of story on the big screen, the small screen, and the community screen can be both entertaining and help change hearts and minds for the better. BIOJeremy Kagan is a director/writer/producer of feature films and television. His credits include the box-office hits https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076138?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Heroes) (1977), https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077233?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The Big Fix) (1978) and https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082175?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The Chosen) (1981). His https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089385?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The Journey of Natty Gann) (1985) was the first US film to win a Gold Prize at the Moscow Film Festival. Other directing credits include https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092780?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8) (1987) (winning the ACE Award for Best Dramatic Special) and https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111021?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Roswell) (1994), which he produced and directed and which was nominated for a Golden Globe. In 1996, his episode of https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108724?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Chicago Hope) (1994) won him an Emmy for Outstanding Direction of a Dramatic Series. One of his segments of https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103512?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Picket Fences) (1992) was listed by TV critics among the top 100 television episodes. His recent work includes en episode of https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Steven Spielberg)'s Emmy-winning anthology _"Taken" (2002/I) (mini)_ and numerous episodes of such hit series as https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The West Wing) (1999) and https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285370?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The Guardian) (2001).  His https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317179?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Bobbie's Girl) (2002) was the highest rated film on Showtime 2003 and his movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387955?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Crown Heights) (2004), which he produced and directed, won the Humanitas Award for "affirming the dignity" of every person and was nominated for a Directors Guild Award in 2004. Mr. Kagan is a graduate of Harvard University, where he wrote his thesis on https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001178?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Sergei M. Eisenstein), has a Masters from NYU and was in the first group of Fellows at the American Film Institute. He is a tenured full professor at USC, where he is in charge of the directing track, and has served as the Artistic Director of https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Robert Redford)'s Sundance Institute. He is on the National Board of the Directors Guild and is Chairperson of its Special Projects Committee and author of the book "Directors Close Up" and was presented the 2004 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000736?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Robert Aldrich) Award for "extraordinary service to the guild.” NOTABLE MENTIONShttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code (The Hays Code): The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-censorship (self-censorship) of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_the_United_States (United States) from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the Hays Code, after https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_H._Hays (Will H. Hays), president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) from 1922 to 1945.  https://www.aclu.org/other/freedom-files (ACLU Freedom Files): The Freedom Files, Directed by Jeremy Kagan that premiered in 2005 with a 10-part television series featuring real clients and the attorneys who represent them, as well as well-known...

In our second episode featuring Jeremy Kagan, we discuss the matter of trust in social impact art-making, and in the community writ large, particularly these days. We also talk about these issues as they relate to Jeremy's film Crown Heights, which deals with the violence and hatred that erupted between the black and the Orthodox Jewish Hasidic communities in Brooklyn in 1991. BIOJeremy Kagan is a director/writer/producer of feature films and television. His credits include the box-office hits https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076138?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Heroes) (1977), https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077233?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The Big Fix) (1978) and https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082175?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The Chosen) (1981). His https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089385?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The Journey of Natty Gann) (1985) was the first US film to win a Gold Prize at the Moscow Film Festival. Other directing credits include https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092780?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8) (1987) (winning the ACE Award for Best Dramatic Special) and https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111021?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Roswell) (1994), which he produced and directed and which was nominated for a Golden Globe. In 1996, his episode of https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108724?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Chicago Hope) (1994) won him an Emmy for Outstanding Direction of a Dramatic Series. One of his segments of https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103512?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Picket Fences) (1992) was listed by TV critics among the top 100 television episodes. His recent work includes en episode of https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Steven Spielberg)'s Emmy-winning anthology _"Taken" (2002/I) (mini)_ and numerous episodes of such hit series as https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The West Wing) (1999) and https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285370?ref_=nmbio_mbio (The Guardian) (2001).  His https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317179?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Bobbie's Girl) (2002) was the highest rated film on Showtime 2003 and his movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387955?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Crown Heights) (2004), which he produced and directed, won the Humanitas Award for "affirming the dignity" of every person and was nominated for a Directors Guild Award in 2004. Mr. Kagan is a graduate of Harvard University, where he wrote his thesis on https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001178?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Sergei M. Eisenstein), has a Masters from NYU and was in the first group of Fellows at the American Film Institute. He is a tenured full professor at USC, where he is in charge of the directing track, and has served as the Artistic Director of https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Robert Redford)'s Sundance Institute. He is on the National Board of the Directors Guild and is Chairperson of its Special Projects Committee and author of the book "Directors Close Up" and was presented the 2004 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000736?ref_=nmbio_mbio (Robert Aldrich) Award for "extraordinary service to the guild.” Notable Mentions: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387955/ (Crown Heights, Movie):  (Story) After the Crown Heights riots, an orthodox Rabbi and a community activist help two youths--one a Hasidic Jew, the other African-American--form a hip-hop group to heal their neighborhood.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Heights_riot#Death_of_Gavin_Cato (Gavin Cato): Riots between Crown Heights' Jewish and black communities erupted on Aug. 19, 1991 after two black children were hit by a station wagon that was part of a motorcade for a Jewish rabbi. Gavin Cato, 7, died instantly, and his 7-year-old cousin, Angela Cato, was severely injured.  https://www.aaronzigman.com/ (Aaron Zigman): is an award-winning composer who has scored more than 60 major Hollywood films and influenced...

Can a museum be a force for social change? Can history heal? Can our stories be unforgotten? Ron Chew says, "YES!, YES! YES!, and Much More!" Ron Chew has spent his life telling stories. Stories that reveal hidden history. Stories that inspire and mobilize. Stories that nurture and heal. The power of these stories has improved the lives of Seattle's Asian Pacific Islander Community, and by extension help that city reckon with its unsettling history with that community. Notable Mentionshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act#:~:text=The%20Chinese%20Exclusion%20Act%20was,all%20immigration%20of%20Chinese%20laborers. (Chinese Exclusion Act): The Chinese Exclusion Act was a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Code (United States federal law) signed by President https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_A._Arthur (Chester A. Arthur) on May 6, 1882, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers. Exclusion was repealed by the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson_Act (Magnuson Act) on December 17, 1943, which allowed 105 Chinese to enter per year. Chinese immigration later increased with the passage of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_and_Nationality_Act_of_1952 (Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952), which abolished direct racial barriers, and later by the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_and_Nationality_Act_of_1965 (Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965), which abolished the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Origins_Formula (National Origins Formula).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act#cite_note-3 ([3]) https://www.wingluke.org/ (Wing Luke Museum):  is a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_museum (history museum) in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle,_Washington (Seattle, Washington), United States, which focuses on the culture, art and history of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Pacific_American (Asian Pacific Americans). It is located in the city's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Chinatown-International_District (Chinatown-International District). Established in 1967, the museum is a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institution (Smithsonian Institution) affiliate and the only pan-Asian Pacific American community-based museum in the country.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Luke_Museum_of_the_Asian_Pacific_American_Experience#cite_note-1 ([1])https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Luke_Museum_of_the_Asian_Pacific_American_Experience#cite_note-2 ([2]) It has relocated twice since its founding, most recently to the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Kong_Yick_Building (East Kong Yick Building) in 2008. In February 2013 it was recognized as one of two dozen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_areas_in_the_United_States_National_Park_System (affiliated areas) of the U.S. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service (National Park Service).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Luke_Museum_of_the_Asian_Pacific_American_Experience#cite_note-Broom-3 ([3]), Chinatown International District: The Chinatown–International District of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle,_Washington (Seattle, Washington) (also known as the ID) is the center of Seattle's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Americans (Asian American) community. Within the Chinatown International District are the three neighborhoods known as Seattle's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown (Chinatown), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japantown (Japantown) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Saigon (Little Saigon), named for the concentration of businesses owned by people of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese descent, respectively.  https://iexaminer.org/history/ (International Examiner): is a free biweekly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_American (Asian...

BIOElise was born in Switzerland, raised in North Carolina, and since 1977 has made her home in Atlanta. She speaks fluent Italian, French, German, Spanish, and English and sings in over a dozen languages. Her passion for music and languages has led her to take her Global, Local & Homemade Songs™ across the United States and around the globe. Among her ancestors, Elise claims “Wedding March” composer Felix Mendelssohn and his grandfather, Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn; Protestant cow farmers from northern Germany; Russian chemists; Polish intellectuals; French Bordeaux wine growers; a British painter; and a great great aunt from Cuba.  Elise has served as a cultural ambassador to South Africa, Nicaragua, China, Italy, and Yugoslavia. For the Kennedy Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration, Elise represented the State of Georgia, and she has crisscrossed the United States with her Global, Local & Homemade Songs™ – from New York's Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the People's Voice Café to festivals like Clearwater's Hudson River Revival, Falcon Ridge, LEAF, the North Georgia Folk Festival, and the Marin County Fair in California; from Minneapolis' Gingko Coffeehouse to Nashville's Bluebird Cafe; and from the Open Door Community to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change. Elise's original songs are wildly eclectic. The Raleigh Times says, “Her performance is like a suitcase plastered with stickers from around the world… populated with interesting characters both heroic and comic.” http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt4 (VALISE) is Elise's 11th recording on the EMWorld label. Her songs have been used in several documentary films, and include the anthem http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt2 (Open the Window) (inspired by a Georgia Sea Islands Spiritual), http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt2 (Why Are Our Eyes in the Front of Our Heads?) (acapella jazz vocal ); http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt4 (Clothes Swap) (a funky ode to the virtues of re-cycling and girl gatherings); http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt4 (Set Us Free) (inspired by the words of Reverend Timothy MacDonald at Martin Luther King Jr.'s 80th birthday celebration at the National Historic Site in Atlanta), http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt4 (Venus Between Us) (a tribute to Soul Music), http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt4 (Ma Roulotte) (a french gypsy jazz waltz, co-written with partner Mick Kinney), http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt4 (Butterfly's Mysteries) (a scientific boogie, written at the Callaway Gardens Butterfly House), http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt4 (Verkehrte Welt) (Crazy Mixed Up World, a German paradox poem à la Oh Suzanna), and http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/elisewitt4 (Blessed Nation) (original music by Elise Witt to a poem by Pete Seeger).The Elise Witt Choral Series makes Elise's songs available for choirs, choruses, and vocal ensembles. With arrangements by http://www.uucss.org/churchstaff/MusicDirector.html (Michael Holmes), there are currently 20 songs arranged for SATB, SSAA, and TTBB groups. Elise has collaborated with choirs, choruses, and vocal ensembles as composer, conductor, and clinician. Her choral arrangements have been performed by http://www.sarathomsen.com/choir.html (Echoes of Peace Choir) in Duluth MN, http://womansong.org/ (WomanSong) in Asheville NC, http://clearriverschorus.com/mainsite/ (Clear Rivers Chorus) in Carrolton GA, http://www.resonancechorus.org/ (Resonance) Women's Chorus of Boulder CO, Winston Knoll College in Saskatchewan Canada, Charm City Labor Chorus in Baltimore, and many other choruses, schools, and churches around the country. Notable Mentionshttps://elisewitt.com/web/ (Elise Witt): Global, Local and Homemade Songs...

Carlton Turner understands that when you can't feed yourself the imagination is the first thing to go And if you can't "see" a different future you can't make change. Sipp Culture is about feeding both the body and the mind's eye. BIOCarlton Turner is an artist, agriculturalist, researcher, and co-founder of the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production (Sipp Culture). Sipp Culture uses food and story to support rural community development in his hometown of Utica, Mississippi where his family has been for eight generations. He currently serves on the board of First Peoples Fund, Imagining America, Project South and the National Black Food and Justice Alliance. Carlton is a member of the We Shall Overcome Fund Advisory Committee at the Highlander Center for Research and Education and is the former Executive Director of Alternate ROOTS and is a founding partner of the Intercultural Leadership Institute. Carlton is a current Interdisciplinary Research Fellow with the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and was named to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts YBCA100. He is also a former Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellow and former Cultural Policy Fellow at the Creative Placemaking Institute at Arizona State University's Herberger Institute for Design in the Arts. Carlton Turner is also co-founder and co-artistic director, along with his brother Maurice Turner, of the group M.U.G.A.B.E.E. (Men Under Guidance Acting Before Early Extinction). M.U.G.A.B.E.E. is a Mississippi-based performing arts group that blends of jazz, hip-hop, spoken word poetry and soul music together with non-traditional storytelling. His current work is River Sols, a new play being developed in collaboration with Pangea World Theater that explores race, identity, class, faith, and difference across African American and South Asian communities through embodiment of a river. He is also a member of the Rural Wealth Lab at RUPRI (Rural Policy Research Institute) and an advisor to the Kresge Foundation's FreshLo Initiative. In 2018, Carlton was awarded the Sidney Yates Award for Advocacy in the Performing Arts by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. Carlton has also received the M. Edgar Rosenblum award for outstanding contribution to Ensemble Theater (2011) and the Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre (2015). Notable Mentionshttps://sippculture.org/ (SIPP Culture): The Mississippi Center for Cultural Production is an approach and resource for cultivating thriving communities. Based in the rural South, “Sipp Culture” is honoring the history and building the future of our own community of Utica, MS.  Sipp Culture supports community development from the ground up through cultural production focused on self-determination and agency designed by us and for us. We believe that history, culture, and food affirm our individual and collective humanity. So, we are strengthening our local food system, advancing health equity, and supporting rural artistic voices – while activating the power of story – all to promote the legacy and vision of our hometown. https://www.octaviabutler.com/theauthor (Octavia Butler): OCTAVIA E. BUTLER was a renowned African American author who received a MacArthur “Genius” Grant and PEN West Lifetime Achievement Award for her body of work. Born in Pasadena in 1947, she was raised by her mother and her grandmother. She was the author of several award-winning novels including PARABLE OF THE SOWER (1993), which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and PARABLE OF THE TALENTS (1995) winner of the Nebula Award for the best science fiction novel published that year. She was acclaimed for her lean prose, strong protagonists, and social observations in stories that range from the distant past to the far future. https://www.newworldstation.com/artistlisting/maurice-s-turner-ii (Maurice Turner): Maurice S. Turner, II is co-founder of Turner World Around Productions, Inc.

Can small stories, from out of the way places make a big difference. Jennifer Williams thinks so and has spent her life sharing those stories and spreading the good word. BIOJennifer Williams is an American artist based in London. Before moving to the UK, she co-produced the Williams Toy Theater, a touring puppet theater. In 1978, she founded and directed the Centre for Creative Communities (formerly British American Arts Association), London, which was open until 2009. The Centre worked across Europe and in the States to promote the building of sustainable communities where education and the arts have pivotal roles to play in personal, social, cultural, and economic development. Currently, she works as a professional artist making and teaching how to make hand-made books, illustrations, etchings, and photographs. She is an active member of the International Futures Forum. Notable Mentionshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Gardner (Howard Gardner): Howard Earl Gardner (born July 11, 1943) is an American https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_psychologist (developmental psychologist) and the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Graduate_School_of_Education (Harvard Graduate School of Education) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University (Harvard University). He is currently the senior director of Harvard Project Zero, and since 1995, he has been the co-director of The Good Project.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Gardner#cite_note-Gordon,_Lynn_Melby_2006-2 ([2])He is best known for his https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences (theory of multiple intelligences), as outlined in his 1983 book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Gardner#cite_note-Gordon,_Lynn_Melby_2006-2 ([2]) The Center for Creative Communities (formerly the British American Art Association): The Centre worked across Europe and in the States to promote the building of sustainable communities where education and the arts have pivotal roles to play in personal, social, cultural and economic development. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorio (Chief Victorio): Victorio (Bidu-ya, Beduiat; ca. 1825–October 14, 1880) was a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrior (warrior) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_chief (chief) of the Warm Springs band of the Tchihendeh (or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiricahua#bands (Chihenne), often called Mimbreño) division of the central https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache (Apaches) in what is now the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States (American) states of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas (Texas), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico (New Mexico), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona (Arizona), and the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico (Mexican) states of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora (Sonora) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahua_(state) (Chihuahua). In https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorio%27s_War (Victorio's War) from September 1879 to October 1880, Victorio led a band of Apaches, never numbering more than 200 men, in a running battle with the U.S. and Mexican armies and the civilian population of New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico, fighting two dozen skirmishes and battles. He and most of his followers were killed or captured by the Mexican army in the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tres_Castillos (Battle of Tres Castillos) in October 1880. https://afieldwithmargaretmckenny.home.blog/who-was-margaret-mckenny/ (Margaret McKinney), (Mushroom Lady): Margaret McKenny was a garden designer, writer, teacher, photographer, lecturer, and conservationist, recognized both locally and nationally. She was an expert mycologist and founder of the Olympia...

Notable MentionsFor this episode of Change the Story Change the World we are going to revisit some of those Art and Upheaval stories along with the song of the same name to make a point. Yea, some people think you can't beat the devil with a song, but they don't know! https://clevelandplainsong.bandcamp.com/album/songlines (Art & Upheaval) (song) From the CD Songlines by Cleveland Plainsong: https://www.artandcommunity.com/books (Art & Upheaval: Artists at Work on the World's Frontlines), New Village Press https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm/listen (Change the Story Change the World) https://www.concourt.org.za/index.php/constitution/your-rights/the-bill-of-rights (South African Bill of Rights): The Bill of Rights is arguably the part of the Constitution that has had the greatest impact on life in this country. As the first words of this chapter say: "This Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom." It has also been the source of the majority of the groundbreaking rulings the Constitutional Court has handed down. To read more about selected rights and the way the Constitutional Court has interpreted them, see children's rights, women's rights, gay and lesbian rights, workers' rights and access to information. https://artforhumanity.co.za/ (Art for Humanity): engages with multidisciplinary arts practice and a wide variety of creative practice within the context of the pressing need for the centering of social justice in our contemporary moment. Based primarily in Durban, the organization aims to support, host, document, create space for, catalyze, and help stimulate this intersection between the arts and questions of history, social transformation and social justice.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu (Bishop Desmond Tutu): was a South African https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_bishop (Anglican bishop) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_theology (theologian), known for his work as an https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_resistance_to_apartheid (anti-apartheid) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_activist (human rights activist). He was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_Diocese_of_Johannesburg (Bishop of Johannesburg) from 1985 to 1986 and then https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_Diocese_of_Cape_Town (Archbishop of Cape Town) from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first black African to hold the position. Theologically, he sought to fuse ideas from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_theology (black theology) with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_theology (African theology). https://cambodiatribunal.org/history/cambodian-history/khmer-rouge-history/ (Khmer Rouge): The Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), otherwise known as the Khmer Rouge, took control of Cambodia on April 17, 1975. The CPK created the state of Democratic Kampuchea in 1976 and ruled the country until January 1979. The party's existence was kept secret until 1977, and no one outside the CPK knew who its leaders were (the leaders called themselves “Angkar Padevat”). While the Khmer Rouge was in power, they set up policies that disregarded human life and produced repression and massacres on a massive scale. They turned the country into a huge detention center, which later became a graveyard for nearly two million people, including their own members and even some senior leaders. http://www.reyum.org/ (Reyum Institute of Arts and Culture: ) Reyum was a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to Cambodian arts and culture. Reyum was founded by Ly Daravuth and Ingrid Muan (1964 - 2005) in December 1998 in order to provide a forum for research, preservation, and promotion of traditional and contemporary Cambodian arts and culture.   Watts Writers...

When does a war truly end? What becomes of those left standing and, the ghosts that remain? In 2001, Vietnam vet, David Moragne returned to Vietnam with his comrades with those questions. His film, Flashback: Summer Sail One Revisited documents what they discovered. Bio David Moragne, was born in Manhattan, raised in the Bronx, nurtured in Greenwood, S.C. and grew up in Dong Ha, RVN. He is a retired visual facilitator and storyteller, who has lived an adventurous life before settling down with his family in California's Eastbay community for the past forty years. He is blessed wife an amazing wife, talented and loving family, and friends who make a difference. David takes nothing for granted, and appreciates all his gifts and blessings.  For him, “Life Is Good!!!” Notable Mentionshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dpB53CyK04&list=PPSV (Flashback: Summer Sail One Revisited: )On June 11th, 1967, a CH 46 Transport Helicopter call sign Bonnie Sue, with a four man crew from the HMM, 265th Marine Air Group went down while inserting a seven man recon team, call sign Summer Sail One from Third Force Reconnaissance Company in to their zone of operation, south of the DMZ and west of Con Thien, Vietnam. All aboard were killed, and there are bodies never recovered. The accounts, recollections, and memories of this incident have crisscrossed thousands of miles, a lot of years, and affected many people. This is an American story, told in a common language of how some of those affected have tried to find understanding, acceptance, and closure. https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/ (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) was established in South Africa in 1996, to help heal the country by uncovering the truth about human rights violations during Apartheid. https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history (Vietnam War:) The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including over 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War, and more than half of the dead were Vietnamese civilians.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_Demilitarized_Zone (DMZ (Vietnam)): was a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demilitarized_zone (demilitarized zone) established as a dividing line between https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Vietnam (North) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Vietnam (South Vietnam) from July 1954 to 1976 as a result of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War (First Indochina War). During the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War (Vietnam War) (1955-1975) it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North from South Vietnamese territories. The zone ceased to exist with the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reunification_of_Vietnam (reunification of Vietnam) on July 2, 1976, though the area remains dangerous due to the numerous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unexploded_ordnance (undetonated explosives) it contains. https://www.encyclopedia.com/defense/energy-government-and-defense-magazines/grunts#:~:text=For%20the%20soldiers%20who%20served,were%20sometimes%20under%20enemy%20fire. (“grunts”:) For the soldiers who served in the Vietnam War, the word grunt was not just a nickname but also a commentary on their status in the hierarchy of war. To be a grunt was to be in the infantry. It meant leaping out of helicopters into landing zones that were sometimes under enemy fire.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_in_action (MIA:) Missing in action (MIA) is a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualty_(person) (casualty) classification assigned to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combatant...

Wayne Cook calls himself bumpy. Which is an apt metaphor for the story we are about to share. In it, Wayne plays a promising young athlete, a crash victim, a soldier in Germany, a child therapist, a stage actor, the Black Mr. Rogers, an arts administrator, a successful author, and Langston Hughes. BIOWayne Cook worked at the California Arts Council for 23 years, where he was Program Manager of the Artists in School's Program and the ADA/504 Disability Coordinator. He Currently consults for the William James Association and Arts in Corrections at Solano State Prison and other correctional institutions in California. In previous years, Mr. Cook consulted with the Educational Department for the Sacramento Theatre Company (STC) and was an actor in such productions as, “To Kill A Mockingbird” at STC. Other notable productions Wayne acted in were “The Iceman Cometh” for the Actor's Theatre of Sacramento and only a few years ago received the Elly award for acting in “Learning Spanish” at the Wilkerson Theatre. Mr. Cook is the author of a drama curriculum, “Center Stage”, A Curriculum for the Performing Arts can be purchased on Amazon.com. Notable Mentionshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers (Mr. Rogers): Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003), also known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author, producer, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyterianism (Presbyterian) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_(Christianity) (minister).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers#cite_note-1 ([1]) He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers%27_Neighborhood (Mister Rogers' Neighborhood), which ran from 1968 to 2001 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-15-vw-828-story.html (Performing Tree): The Performing Tree was as arts education program that worked in schools in the Los Angeles area in the 1980's and 90's.  https://2c344e8e-a29e-4ce2-827a-c7606d272a42.filesusr.com/ugd/a178d6_6fee89fd7a12410aaa122b3540c27fdc.docx?dn=AIC%20Case%20Study.docx (Arts in Corrections): In the early 1970's, a time when work opportunities for artists and arts educators were diminishing in the mainstream culture, many professional artists began to look to society's forgotten corners for a new constituency. Patients and prisoners offered an alternative opportunity for artists to respond to a crying need to be valued. The emergence of these institutional art programs also provides a challenge to artists' preconceptions about the value and potential of the creative processes--a value which was as rooted in the issues of survival as those of aesthetics. https://arts.ca.gov/ (California Arts Council): Culture is the strongest signifier of California's identity. As a state agency, the California Arts Council supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, programs, and services. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/langston-hughes (Langston Hughes): Langston Hughes was a central figure in the https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/145704/an-introduction-to-the-harlem-renaissance (Harlem Renaissance), the flowering of black intellectual, literary, and artistic life that took place in the 1920s in a number of American cities, particularly Harlem. A major poet, Hughes also wrote novels, short stories, essays, and plays. He sought to honestly portray the joys and hardships of working-class black lives, avoiding both sentimental idealization and negative stereotypes. As he wrote in his essay “https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69395/the-negro-artist-and-the-racial-mountain (The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain),” “We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't matter. We know we are beautiful. And...

Who would have thought that running away with the circus could lead to a career as a successful filmmaker. Gary Glassman's path to filmmaking also, includes, street theater, teaching, prison work, and media technology. The through-line for Gary's creative adventure has been asking questions and, what else, telling stories.  BioGary Glassman believes television can change the world. He comes to television through street and circus performing – clowning, fire-eating, tight rope and stilt walking. His earliest media work is participatory projects with prisoners and the criminally insane, hospitalized children, and developmentally challenged adults. Prisoners, his first documentary, is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery, and the Pompidou Center in Paris. He started Providence Pictures in 1996 and as executive producer/director makes films for the world's leading broadcasters including PBS, Discovery, History, National Geographic, BBC, and Arte. His films consistently achieve the highest ratings and have won and been honored with nominations for the industry's most prestigious awards including seven Emmys, two Writers Guild Award, the AAA Science Journalism Prize, the CINE Golden Eagle, and the International Archaeology Film Festival Award. Glassman received a BA from Goddard College, and an MFA in Directing from UCLA. Notable Mentionshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalding_Gray (Spalding Gray )(June 5, 1941 – January 11, 2004) was an American actor and writer. He is best known for the autobiographical https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-person_show (monologues) that he wrote and performed for the theater in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as for his film adaptations of these works, beginning in 1987. He wrote and starred in several, working with different directors. Theater critics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Willis (John Willis) and Ben Hodges called Gray's monologues "trenchant, personal narratives delivered on sparse, unadorned sets with a dry, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Anglo-Saxon_Protestant (WASP), quiet mania."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalding_Gray#cite_note-1 ([1]): 316  https://providencepictures.com/ (Providence Pictures): “Since 1996, Providence Pictures has been collaborating with the world's leading broadcasters on more than fifty films seen by millions of people around the globe and honored with television's most prestigious awards.Providence Pictures is building on our foundation of innovative premium documentaries, expanding our repertoire with feature films that stir hearts and inspire action, and venturing into the ultimate sci-fi dream with an augmented reality time travel app. We believe stories can change the world.”:  https://providencepictures.com/our-work/show/building-wonders-of-the-world (Building the Wonders of the World:) A Providence Pictures series that explores the secrets of the Parthenon, Riddles of the Sphinx, Building the Great Cathedrals, Colosseum Roman Death Trap, Hagia Sophia Istanbuls Ancient Mystery, Petra Lost City of Stone. The series received nominations for Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Science and Technology Programming, Outstanding Cinematography, Writers Guild of America Award, Best Film of the International Archaeological Film Festival, CINE Special Jury Award https://providencepictures.com/our-work/show/native-america (Native America): is a four-part PBS series that challenges everything we thought we knew about the Americas before and since contact with Europe. It travels through 15,000-years to showcase massive cities, unique systems of science, art, and writing, and 100 million people connected by social networks and spiritual beliefs spanning two continents. The series reveals some of the most advanced cultures in human history and the Native American people who created it. ...

Felicia Young uses arts-based strategies and tools to spur community action. She has helped save hundreds of New York's community gardens, clean up a sacred river in India, stymie one of America's most powerful politicians, bring attention to local solutions to the climate crises, and most importantly bring people together to make real change. BIOFelicia Young is a social action artist and the Founder/Executive Director of Earth Celebrations, a non-profit organization since 1991 engaging communities to generate ecological and social change through the arts. For the past 30 years she has applied the the arts to build community, collaboration and environmental action on climate change, water quality, river restoration, waste management, and the preservation of species, habitats, nature, gardens, parks, and a healthy urban environment. She has pioneered cultural strategies utilizing collaborative arts to build broad-based coalitions and diverse sector partnerships with local organizations, academic institutions, government agencies, schools and community residents to work together, develop solutions and mobilize action to achieve common goals and ecological, policy and social change. Her social action art projects include a 15-year grass-roots effort and annual theatrical pageant that led to the preservation of hundreds of community gardens in New York City and a project to engage community on restoration efforts of the Hudson River and impacts of climate change. She then applied these cultural strategies to build an international collaborative effort to restore the Vaigai River in Madurai South India, in a severe crisis due to pollution and the drying effects of climate change. Felicia's current Ecological City: Cultural & Climate Solutions Action Project engages community on climate solution initiatives throughout the community gardens, neighborhood and waterfront on the Lower East Side of New York City, and their importance to city and global climate challenges. As a native 3rd generation New Yorker, she has deep roots in the City of New York, as well as much inspiration from the festivals, ceremonies, and mythic dramas from her mother's native land of India. Felicia Young has also developed a course " Art, Ecology and Community" for Princeton University. She has BA in Art History from Skidmore College and a MA degree in Performance Studies from New York University.  Notable Mentionshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art (Metropolitan Museum of Art) of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City (New York City), colloquially "the Met",https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art#cite_note-6 ([a]) is the largest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_museum (art museum) in the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere (Western Hemisphere). Its permanent collection contains over two million works,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art#cite_note-auto2-1 ([1]) divided among 17 curatorial departments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Met_Fifth_Avenue (The main building) at 1000 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Avenue (Fifth Avenue), along the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_Mile,_New_York (Museum Mile) on the eastern edge of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park (Central Park) on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan (Manhattan)'s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_East_Side (Upper East Side), is by area one of the world's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_art_museums (largest art museums). A much smaller second location, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cloisters (The Cloisters) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Tryon_Park (Fort...

DAH SAYS: "In today's world, we can oppose destruction and violence with the creation of meaning ... we create bold dramatic art to provoke, inspire, and incite personal and social transformation." Be sure to check out our https://www.artandcommunity.com/copy-of-podcast (CHANGE THE STORY COLLECTION OF ARCHIVED EPISODES) on: Justice Arts, Art & Healing, Cultural Organizing, Arts Ed./Children & Youth, Community Arts Training, Music for Change, Theater for Change, Change Making Media. BIODijana Milošević is an award-winning theater director, writer and lecturer. She co-founded the DAH Theater Research Center in Belgrade, and has been its lead director for over 25 years. Dijana has served as the artistic director of theater festivals, the president of the Association of Independent Theaters, the president of the board of BITEF Theater, and a member of the board of directors of the national International Theater Institute (ITI). She has been involved with several peacebuilding initiatives and collaborates with feminist-activist groups. DAH Theater has performed nationally and internationally under Dijana's directing. She has also directed plays by other theater companies around the world. She is a well-known lecturer, who has taught at world-famous universities. She writes articles and essays about theater as well as society. She has won prestigious scholarships such as Fulbright and Arts Link. She is a professor at the Institute for Artistic Play in Belgrade. Notable Mentionshttps://en.dahteatarcentar.com/eu-projects/ (Dah Teatar Research Center for Culture and Social Change): DAH Theatre is an independent, professional, contemporary theatre troupe and artistic collective that uses modern theatre techniques to create engaging art and initiate positive social change, both locally and globally.  Mission: In today's world, we can oppose destruction and violence with the creation of meaning.” Through dedicated teamwork, we create bold dramatic art to provoke, inspire, and incite personal and social transformation. https://nyupress.org/9780976605461/art-and-upheaval/ (Art and Upheaval - Artists on the World's Frontlines:) Author William Cleveland shares r emarkable stories from Northern Ireland, Cambodia, South Africa, United States (Watts, Los Angeles), aboriginal Australia, and Serbia, about artists who resolve conflict, heal unspeakable trauma, give voice to the forgotten and disappeared, and restitch the cultural fabric of their communities. This Babylonian Confusion: The Dah Teatar project “This Babylonian Confusion” is a result of a montage of the actors' materials and the songs of Bertold Brecht. This performance was created from the need of the artists to place themselves in their duty- as artists in “dark times.” Four actors using the characters of Angels say their share against war, nationalism and destruction. [1992] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slobodan_Milo%C5%A1evi%C4%87 (Slobodan Milošivić): was a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia (Yugoslav) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia (Serbian) politician who served as the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Serbia (president) of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Serbia_(1992%E2%80%932006) (Serbia) within https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslavia (Yugoslavia) from 1989 to 1997. Formerly a high-ranking member of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Communists_of_Serbia (League of Communists of Serbia) (SKS) during the 1980s, he led the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Party_of_Serbia (Socialist Party of Serbia) from its foundation in 1990 until 2003. After Milošević's death, the ICTY and the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Residual_Mechanism_for_Criminal_Tribunals (International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals) found that he was a part of...

The recorded conference presentation you are about to hear includes a made up game show, a scene from a novella about artists working in a fictional prison, and a visit to a fake town in the midst of a harsh reckoning around issues of race, justice, othering, and belonging. (A Reprise of Episode 27) Welcome to a Bonus edition of Change the Story Change the World —- as we pay a visit to the 16th Annual Art in Society Conference. Bill Cleveland: Hi I'm Bill Cleveland, the host of Change the Story / Change the World. This week we are going to do something a bit different. A few episodes back we shared a conversation with writer Jan Cohen Cruz to commemorate the New Village Press publication of Meeting the Moment by her and artist activist Rad Periera. This week's bonus episode is indirectly related to another soon to be published New Village volume called the Book of Judith, "an homage to the life of poet, writer, and teaching artist Judith Tannenbaum and her impact on incarcerated and marginalized students." Judith, who passed away in 2019, taught me a lot about both art making, and the imagination. In my own teaching her lessons have been a constant presence, often manifesting through the stories she shared in her work. This was the case In June of 2021 when I participated in an international conference convened by the Art in Society Research Network. My part in this online conference was a presentation about using story-based strategies for community arts training. My approach was to share few stories, including one of Judith's about how using stories can help prepare artists for work in real life communities and social institutions. So, the recorded conference presentation you are about to hear includes a game show, a scene from Judith's novella about artists working in prison, and a visit to a fake town in the midst of a harsh reckoning around issues of race, justice, othering, and belonging. Welcome to a special edition of change the story Change the World —- as we pay a visit to the 16th Annual Art in Society Conference. Hi: I'm Bill Cleveland. I am speaking to you from, Alameda CA, near Oakland which is the traditional land of the Ohlone people and home our county's new VP Kamala Harris. I run the Center for the Study of Art & Community. Our name is a mouthful to be sure but we have a pretty simple mission. Which is basically, helping to Create new community art partnerships in service to building caring, capable & equitable communities and then telling the stories that rise up. Over the past couple of decades, the Center has done that by conducting research, providing cross-sector community arts training, and producing studies, articles books and a podcast on arts-based community development and social change efforts all over the world. Enough about us. I'd like to begin this presentation by inviting you to participate in one of our fabulous Quiz shows. The show is actually a little game called TRUTH OR NO. The object of the game is to spark your imaginations and have a bit of fun. To do this you will need write a few things down, Yeah, I know you thought this conference would be just sitting and watching, but please, indulge me here. I'll give you 30 seconds to grab a pencil and paper. OK now lets start. The game goes like this: In a little bit I am going to share 4 really short-stories that may or may not be true. Your job is to identify the ones that are false. Before I start t you will need to write 1 through 4 on a piece of paper. Now after each little story I tell write T for those you think are true and N for No for the fabrications. This will happen very fast. So here we go. Space Out: Way back in the 20th century the US Space Program felt they needed more public support. So, they decided to engage artists to help them to draw more positive attention to their efforts. This NASA arts program started with a bang – hiring Oh Superman, Laurie Anderson and Pop artist, Robert...

Pillsbury House + Theater is a groundbreaking “new model for human service work that recognizes the power of the arts and culture to stimulate community participation, investment and ownership.” This is the first of two PH+T chapters. BIO'sSigne V. Harriday is Artistic Producing Director at Pillsbury House + Theatre. Signe is a fierce visionary and powerful storyteller who crafts theatre that awakens our individual and collective humanity. As a director, multidisciplinary artist, activist, and facilitator, she uses theatre as a catalyst to ask questions about who we are and who we are in relation to each other.Past accomplishments include: Associate Company Member of Pillsbury House Theatre. Co-founder of Million Artist Movement, a collective of artists committed to Black liberation. Co-founder of the award-winning synchronized swimming team, The Subversive Sirens. Founder of Rootsprings Coop, a retreat center for BIPOC artists/activists/healers. Co-founder of MaMa mOsAiC, a women of color theater company whose mission is to evoke positive social change through female centered work. Core team member of REP Community Partners. Signe earned her MFA in Acting at the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard and Moscow Art Theatre. Current projects: Director of Bridgforth's bull-jean stories, Associate Director of Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower Opera, Choreography for Love of Silver Water, Playwright for Dysmorphia. Recent directing credits: Dining with the Ancestors, Fannie Lou Hammer Speak On It, Hidden Heroes Noël Raymond is the Co-Artistic Managing Director at Pillsbury House + Theater. Noël holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota and a BFA from Ithaca College in New York. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Multicultural Development Center and the Burning House Group Theatre Company which she co-founded in 1993. She is also a company member of Carlyle Brown and Company. She has taught acting classes and theatre movement in multiple settings to children, college students and adults with developmental disabilities.   Noël is an Equity actor who has performed with Pillsbury House Theatre, the Burning House Group, the Guthrie Theater, Penumbra Theatre, Bryant Lake Bowl, and Minnesota Festival Theatres in Minnesota as well as the Hangar Theatre in New York. Noël's directing credits include Underneath the Lintel, An Almost Holy Picture, Far Away, Angels in America: Parts I and II, and [sic] at Pillsbury House Theatre, From Shadows to Light at Theatre Mu, The BI Show with MaMa mOsAiC, and multiple staged readings and workshops through the Playwrights' Center, among others. Noël has served on numerous panels including TCG/American Theatre, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Playwright's Center and United Arts, to name a few. Mike Hoyt: Mike is a visual artist and Pillsbury's Creative Community Liason. For nearly twenty years he has been producing, managing, and directing arts-based community development projects and youth development programs, while making his own art in his community. Creating and facilitating unique shared experiences that connect diverse and often non traditional art audiences drive his art practice. Hoyt's work has been exhibited locally and abroad at the Seoul Olympic Museum of Art, Arts At Marks Garage in Honolulu, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Pillsbury House + Theatre, Soap Factory, Soo Visual Arts Center, Intermedia Arts, Franconia Sculpture Park, Art Shanty Projects, and the Walker Art Center among others. He has received awards from the Minnesota State Arts Board, a Northern Lights.mn Art(ists) on the Verge Fellowship, a Jerome Visual Artist Fellowship, and a McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship. Hoyt has the added benefit of raising a family three blocks from PH+T and is honored to have the opportunity to engage local...

This is the second chapter of the Pillsbury House + Theatre story. At the corner of George Floyd Square & the Pandemic, PH+T is breaking the community development mold using the power of the arts & culture to stimulate community health, ownership & justice. https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm/episode/episode-55-pillsbury-house-theater (Missed Chapter 1? Go To CSCW EP 55, Pillsbury House + Theater Chapter 1) BIO'sSigne V. Harriday is Artistic Producing Director at Pillsbury House + Theatre. Signe is a fierce visionary and powerful storyteller who crafts theatre that awakens our individual and collective humanity. As a director, multidisciplinary artist, activist, and facilitator, she uses theatre as a catalyst to ask questions about who we are and who we are in relation to each other.Past accomplishments include: Associate Company Member of Pillsbury House Theatre. Co-founder of Million Artist Movement, a collective of artists committed to Black liberation. Co-founder of the award-winning synchronized swimming team, The Subversive Sirens. Founder of Rootsprings Coop, a retreat center for BIPOC artists/activists/healers. Co-founder of MaMa mOsAiC, a women of color theater company whose mission is to evoke positive social change through female centered work. Core team member of REP Community Partners. Signe earned her MFA in Acting at the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard and Moscow Art Theatre. Current projects: Director of Bridgforth's bull-jean stories, Associate Director of Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower Opera, Choreography for Love of Silver Water, Playwright for Dysmorphia. Recent directing credits: Dining with the Ancestors, Fannie Lou Hammer Speak On It, Hidden Heroes Noël Raymond is the Co-Artistic Managing Director at Pillsbury House + Theater. Noël holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota and a BFA from Ithaca College in New York. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Multicultural Development Center and the Burning House Group Theatre Company which she co-founded in 1993. She is also a company member of Carlyle Brown and Company. She has taught acting classes and theatre movement in multiple settings to children, college students and adults with developmental disabilities.   Noël is an Equity actor who has performed with Pillsbury House Theatre, the Burning House Group, the Guthrie Theater, Penumbra Theatre, Bryant Lake Bowl, and Minnesota Festival Theatres in Minnesota as well as the Hangar Theatre in New York. Noël's directing credits include Underneath the Lintel, An Almost Holy Picture, Far Away, Angels in America: Parts I and II, and [sic] at Pillsbury House Theatre, From Shadows to Light at Theatre Mu, The BI Show with MaMa mOsAiC, and multiple staged readings and workshops through the Playwrights' Center, among others. Noël has served on numerous panels including TCG/American Theatre, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Playwright's Center and United Arts, to name a few. Mike Hoyt: Mike is a visual artist and Pillsbury's Creative Community Liason. For nearly twenty years he has been producing, managing, and directing arts-based community development projects and youth development programs, while making his own art in his community. Creating and facilitating unique shared experiences that connect diverse and often non traditional art audiences drive his art practice. Hoyt's work has been exhibited locally and abroad at the Seoul Olympic Museum of Art, Arts At Marks Garage in Honolulu, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Pillsbury House + Theatre, Soap Factory, Soo Visual Arts Center, Intermedia Arts, Franconia Sculpture Park, Art Shanty Projects, and the Walker Art Center among others. He has received awards from the Minnesota State Arts Board, a Northern Lights.mn Art(ists) on the Verge Fellowship, a Jerome...

Episode 57: Matthew Fluharty - Art of the RuralMatthew Fluharty is a curious, thoughtful, passionate, humble dot connector who asks as many questions of himself as he does of the cosmos in his roles as a poet, essayist, curator, and policy wonk. The Art of the Rural, the organization he founded in 2010, is at the forefront of the story liberation movement. BIOMatthew is the Founder and Executive Director of Art of the Rural, a member of M12 Studio, and faculty on the Rural Environments Field School. His work flows between the fields of art, design, humanities, policy, and community development. His poetry and essays have been published widely, and his work with his colleagues in the American Bottom region of the Mississippi River has been featured in Art in America. Matthew is the organizing curator for High Visibility: On Location in Rural America and Indian Country, a longterm collaboration with the Plains Art Museum. He recently received a Curatorial Fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts for this ongoing work. Born into a seventh-generation farming family in Appalachian Ohio, Matthew's upbringing instilled a belief that everyday, multigenerational knowledge can teach us about where have been, where we are, and where we might be going. Those lessons led him to take vows with the Zen Garland Order, a community that is a part of what's known as the Socially Engaged Buddhist movement. https://matthewfluharty.work/ (Website) // Email // https://twitter.com/MiddleLandscape (Twitter) // https://www.instagram.com/middle_landscape/ (Instagram) // https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfluharty/ (LinkedIn) Notable Mentionshttp://artoftherural.org/ (Art of the Rural:) Founded in 2010, Art of the Rural is a decentered, collaborative organization that works to forward knowledge sharing, network gathering, and rural-urban exchange.  https://inhighvisibility.org/ (High Visibility) is a longterm, collaborative partnership between http://artoftherural.org/ (Art of the Rural), https://plainsart.org/exhibitions/high-visibility/ (Plains Art Museum), and individuals & organizations across the continent. Through exhibitions, publications, and place-based programs, our aim over time is to boldly reframe the narrative on rural America and Indian Country and to welcome sustained rural-urban exchange. Plains Art Museum.  http://www.theamericanbottom.org/ (American Bottom Project): As a specific geography, the American Bottom has seen a history of human settlement, ecological transformation, and social convergence that we truly find singular in the American context. At the same time, as a typical geography, the American Bottom picks up on patterns that might be recognizable at the divided urban periphery of every large American city at the beginning of the 21st century. And it is to both these registers—the specific and the general—that we hope this project speaks. Mounds UNESCO heritage site  https://winonadakotaunityalliance.org/ (Winona/Dakota Unity Alliance): Mission - Creating sustainable alliances among indigenous Nations and the Winona community with a mutual understanding that we are all related. https://appalshop.org/ (Appalshop): is a media, arts, and education center located in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitesburg,_Kentucky (Whitesburg), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky (Kentucky), in the heart of the southern https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachia (Appalachian) region of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States (United States).  https://roadside.org/ (Roadside Theater) was founded in the coalfields of central Appalachia in 1975 as part of http://www.appalshop.org/ (Appalshop), which had begun six years earlier as a War on Poverty/Office of Economic Opportunity youth job training...

Episode 58: Matthew Fluharty - Art of the Rural - Chapter 2This is our second episode focusing on Matthew Fluharty's work at Art of the Rural. In it we explore the continuing story of Sauget Illinois, the power of nostalgia, the iconic importance of Busch Light beer, and the amazing legacy of Family Video. https://change-the-story-chan.captivate.fm/episode/episode-57-matthew-fluharty-art-of-the-rural (Listen to Art of the Rural Chapter 1 HERE) BIOMatthew is the Founder and Executive Director of Art of the Rural, a member of M12 Studio, and faculty on the Rural Environments Field School. His work flows between the fields of art, design, humanities, policy, and community development. His poetry and essays have been published widely, and his work with his colleagues in the American Bottom region of the Mississippi River has been featured in Art in America. Matthew is the organizing curator for High Visibility: On Location in Rural America and Indian Country, a longterm collaboration with the Plains Art Museum. He recently received a Curatorial Fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts for this ongoing work. Born into a seventh-generation farming family in Appalachian Ohio, Matthew's upbringing instilled a belief that everyday, multigenerational knowledge can teach us about where have been, where we are, and where we might be going. Those lessons led him to take vows with the Zen Garland Order, a community that is a part of what's known as the Socially Engaged Buddhist movement. https://matthewfluharty.work/ (Website) // Email // https://twitter.com/MiddleLandscape (Twitter) // https://www.instagram.com/middle_landscape/ (Instagram) // https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfluharty/ (LinkedIn) Notable Mentionshttps://www.artandcommunity.com/copy-of-podcast (Change the Story Collection): : Arts-based community development comes in many flavors: dancers, and painters working with children and youth; poets and potters collaborating with incarcerated artists: cultural organizers in service to communities addressing racial injustice, all this and much, much more. Many of our listeners have told us they would like to dig deeper into art and change stories that focus on specific issues, constituencies, or disciplines. Others have shared that they are using the podcast as a learning resource and would appreciate categories and cross-references for our stories.  https://www.karlunnasch.com/ (Karl Unnasch): is a sculptor with a rugged farm upbringing streaked with a penchant for the surreal: Unnasch's smaller-scale work has been exhibited as far as Europe and acclaimed in publications such as the New York Times and Art in London Magazine, while his larger-scale, award-winning public art has been featured on the likes of NBC's Today show, Reader's Digest and Voice of America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_Gaul (The Dying Gaul):  is an https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_art (ancient Roman) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble (marble) semi-recumbent statue now in the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitoline_Museums (Capitoline Museums) in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome (Rome). It is a copy of a now lost sculpture from the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_period (Hellenistic period) (323-31 BC) thought to have been made in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_sculpture (bronze). The white marble statue, which may originally have been painted, depicts a wounded, slumped Gaulish or Galatian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celt (Celt), shown with remarkable realism and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathos (pathos), particularly as regards the face. https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_vd2zgq6p/231900533 (American Bottom Gazette): The American Bottom Gazette tells the story of this region through an...

Once upon a time, theater Director Susie Tanner, steelworkers, & Bruce Springsteen teamed up to spread the devastating truth about steel plant shutdowns across the US. This is their story. BIOSusan “Susie” Franklin Tanner has worked as a Theatre Artist since 1973. In 1983 she received a California Arts Council Artist in Communities grant to create TheatreWorkers Project. As the founder and director, she has led the company in the development of 16 documentary plays including Lady Beth: the Steelworkers' Play that toured 16 cities, co-sponsored by Bruce Springsteen and was profiled in the PBS documentary “A Steel Life Drama”. In 1982, Tanner was honored to share her work on a production of Brecht's A Man's A Man with members of the Berliner Ensemble. She was a member of the Living Stage Company/Arena Stage in D.C. for 6 years, performing and/or teaching workshops for at-risk and underserved children, teens and adults. Her work with the company included workshop/performances in prisons and treatment centers. In Los Angeles, her community-based work has included creating theatre with steelworkers, shipbuilders, critical care nurses, Latino immigrants workers, formerly incarcerated men and women, and youth. Since 2016, Susie has led teams of artists in theatre, writing and movement workshops for formerly incarcerated and those on work release through CAC and California Humanities grants. In January 2019 Susie and her artist teams will bring this work to California State Prison, Lancaster through a CAC Arts in Corrections contract.She is a member of the SAG-AFTRA Radio Play Committee, for which she has directed 5 live radio performances. As a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, she has directed numerous staged readings and the critically acclaimed production of “To Serve Butter” for the 2016 One Act Festival, and has provided ongoing opportunities for young artists to work side by side with professionals. Producing/Directing credits include “The Luckiest Girl” and “No Word in Guyanese for Me”, staged at the Atwater Village Theatre, “Lake Titicaca” for the 2016 Short + Sweet Hollywood one act festival, “ISAAK”, which tours schools on an Actor's Equity Theatre for Young Audiences contract, and "Fathers & Sons".Susie was an adjunct professor of Theatre for Social Change at Woodbury University for two years. In 2014-15, she collaborated with Woodbury on a project with La Colmenita, the Cuban national children's theatre, and has collaborated with Mt. St. Mary's University to implement the Theatre Intervention Project, serving severely depressed and recovering low income women from South Central LA. Teaching Artist positions include/have included LACHSA, Sequoyah School, Mark Taper Forum Saturday Conservatory, College of the Canyons, UCLA Extension, CSULA/EOP, LACC Theatre Academy, College of the Canyons, LAUSD and PUSD.Grants and awards include: 2011 Bravo Award and CTG JP Morgan Chase Fellowships, a 2014 National Artist Teacher Fellowship and the LA County Federation of Labor Union Label Award for cultural work within the labor movement. Susie has been funded by the California Arts Council for nine consecutive years and her company, TheatreWorkers Project, has recently been awarded an LAUSD Arts Community Network contract to being theatre productions and classes to underserved middle and high schools. for her eighth consecutiveNotable MentionsTheaterWorkers Project: (TWP) is dedicated to providing opportunities for members of underserved and unheard communities to tell their stories through the medium of theatre and to providing classical and contemporary theatre experiences that reflect and illuminate the human condition.Lady Beth: the steelworkers play...

This week follows from Episode 59 in which Susie Tanner, Bruce Springsteen, and a band of unemployed steelworkers take a play about the death of a steel mill called lady Beth across America. In this episode, Susie joins up with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated artists share their stories of their lives and loves in and out of the prison Industrial complex. Find TheaterWorkers Chapter 1 : Here

Barry Marcus Redux- A Creative Culture Celebratory RemembranceThis is a hard introduction to make. A good friend, a special soul has passed over. I am grieving over the loss of my dear brother Barry Marcus. I know, who in the hell wants to listen to a sad guy in mourning but bear with me for a moment here. I'm going to say my little piece, and then let you decide for yourself what to make of Barry as we replay his Change the Story episode as celebratory remembrance. So, my little piece: I think of Barry as an undeserved gift. Not just to me but to all of us in the world who aspire to a life full of heart and empathy, and good work. Barry was a bubbly, quirky, brilliant, loving creative presence who came to the party with no hesitation ready to share his songs, and stories, and amazing layered images, and laugh, and cry, and then laugh again. All I can say is what a privilege it has been to have had a friend like Barry ever in my life. Those of you who are listening, who did not know Barry, are probably thinking, hey the guy lost a good friend, he's going to hyperbolize a bit. But you folks who knew the man, know that I'm saying doesn't come close to how cool the guy truly was. I think we are all attracted to people who we think are doing life better than we are. And the thing that pulls us in is the thing that we most wish we could master, the sublime, just out of reach touch that we most aspire to. This was certainly the case with my friend Barry. He was, of course as cracked, and flawed and inattentive as the rest of us, but what stood out with him in his relationship with life was his complete and total awe and love of the world he and the rest of us inhabited while he was with us.In this realm he was not in any way a master tactician, or a strategic genius, he was, rather, an all-in, heart and soul participant in whatever opportunity, obstacle, question, or mystery that came his way. He was an over-the-top enthusiast and cheerleader for what was possible, for what was interesting or provocative, and most of all, what manifested love in the universe. By love in the universe, I'm not talking about the “woo “thing. I'm talking about the thing that he was best at without even thinking. Which was wanting us, all of us to be us, with as much intensity, and honesty, and respect, and compassion as possible, so much so, that whoever was on the receiving end out there, could not help but return the favor. We published Barry's Episode, called Creative Culture, in May of 2020. In it he shared the story an amazing, and successful arts-infused treatment program he created at a residential facility for severely mentally ill adolescent boys in California. As you listen, I'm sure you will catch a glimpse of sparky, vital spirit and all who knew and loved him will sorely miss. Barry's Photographs: Our Co-authored Book: STORYstoryThe STORYstory MovieAdded Music: Feelings of Twilight, by Shady Dave

Rad Pereira is an old soul-young heart theater artist, writer, educator, and community activist with a very clear sense of purpose and direction --- defined by questions like: How can we imagine, and manifest alternate futures together? Was my body conditioned to survive in a world not made for me? and Can the natural world function as a moral compass? BIOI am a multi-spirit mixed Black, Indigenous Brazilian, Jewish (im)migrant artist currently based in Lenapehoking (Brooklyn). My creative practices range from social sculpture, to popular theatrical and TV/film performance, to participatory liberatory artmaking and healing that weaves together an Afro-futurist longing for transformative justice and queer (re)Indigenization of culture.I put in a lot of hours to get to where, how and why I am today, with the guidance of many mentors and dedication to cultivating an ancestor led, faithful intuition. I was trained up in Eurocentric theatre and dance on scholarship at Interlochen Arts Academy and Pace University. I kept the parts of that training which were useful and shed the constricting parts. Since then I have been building connection with my ancestral modes of creativity, storytelling and next world building. With my community I created The (Im)Migrant Hustle and produced Bang Bang Gun Amok I + II at Abrons Art Center. With their artner at You Are Here, LILLETH, they created Media Tools for Liberation at JackNY, Decolonization Rave and Cosmic Commons. In 2017 I was NYC Public Artist in Residence with my collaborators (Keelay Gipson, Britton Smith, Josh Adam Ramos), at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Children's Services working with LGBQTIA foster youth;As an actor and director, I have contributed to stories at HBO, CBS, MTV, National Black Theatre, MITU350, The Public Theater, La Mama etc., Shakespeare Theatre in DC, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, ART Boston, The Bushwick Starr, Target Margin, Ars Nova, New Ohio, Clubbed Thumb, The Flea Theatre, Sesame Street, Theatre 167 and various online media platforms.As a cultural organizer and facilitator, I have collaborated with the Disney Theatrical Group, United Nations, Queens Museum, Rio de Janeiro Museum, Instituto Republica, MOCA, SITI Company Thought Center, A Blade of Grass, SUPERBLUE, Broadway Advocacy Coalition, The 8th Floor, Working Woman of Color Conference, Dance/NYC Symposium, and Culture/Shift. I have taught performance classes and workshops at Pace University, Interlochen Arts Academy, NET, Americans for the Arts and The Door.Currently, I'm the Director of Engagement and Impact with New York Stage & Film, while shifting between cultural work in performance, education, social sculpture and community organizing. My book on socially engaged performance and social justice with Jan Cohen-Cruz came out in June 2022 by New Village Press.Recent Work:Meeting the Moment, Socially Engaged Performance, 1965–2020, by Those Who Lived It by Jan Cohen Cruz and Rad Pereira NOWNESS: Every Step is a Prayer: Miami's newest innovative arts venue, Superblue, first opened its doors in May 2021 to invite in a new era of perception-shifting art. To honor this beginning, Superblue, alongside local community members and in partnership with NOWNESS, created a short film that honors the

We've come up with four questions from listeners during 2022 that seem to jump out. They deal with creative partnerships in prison. teaching the arts online, something called the Tyranny of Comfort and what neuroscience can tell us about Arts and Change.

Liz LermanIn chapter one of our conversation with Liz Lerman we'll talk about her early years, her career as a heretic, the critical response process, the Heisenberg Uncertainty, the power of the horizontal, and how dance can make the world a better place. BIOLiz Lerman is a choreographer, performer, writer, teacher, and speaker. She has spent the past four decades making her artistic research personal, funny, intellectually vivid, and up to the minute. A key aspect of her artistry is opening her process to everyone from shipbuilders to physicists, construction workers to ballerinas, resulting in both research and experiences that are participatory, relevant, urgent, and usable by others.Called by the Washington Post “the source of an epochal revolution in the scope and purposes of dance art,”[4] she and her dancers have collaborated with shipbuilders, physicists, construction workers, and cancer researchers.[5] In 2002 she won the MacArthur Genius Grant;[6] in 2009, the Jack P. Blaney Award in Dialogue acknowledged her outstanding leadership, creativity, and dedication to melding dialogue with dance;[citation needed] and the 2017 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award.[7]She founded the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in 1976 and led the company's multi-generational ensemble until July 2011, when Lerman passed the leadership of her company to Cassie Meador;[8] the company is now called simply Dance Exchange.[9] .[10]Under Lerman's leadership Dance Exchange appeared across the U.S. in locations as various as the National Cathedral,[11] Kennedy Center Opera House,[12] and Millennium Stage,[13] Lansburgh Theatre,[14] Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,[14][15]

Where did Change the Story / Change the World come from? How about a bad home, drugs, and prison. A predictable story? Sure, except when you throw in the National Cathedral Choir, a geodesic dome, and the stubborn belief that art can save the world. You never know!In this episode we are going back to the beginning with the first episode of what was then a new podcast produced by the Center for the Study of Art & Community in 2020 called Change the Story, Change the World. In it I share the very personal story of how the show came to be and try to answer why would anybody want to listen. It's a journey of many decades. It begins in the leafy suburbs of our nation's capital around the time that America started losing what some have called its innocence---Along the way we encounter hippie communes, the requisite drugs, sex and rock and roll, art colonies in prisons, and armies of artists doing battle with the likes of the Slobodan Milosevic, Pol Pot and the US Department of Justice. This week on Change the Story, Change the World, the story of how my story crosses paths with the early history and extraordinary growth of the global community arts movement.THRESHOLD QUESTIONS AND DELICIOUS QUOTES ?Can the creative process be a lifeline for people who are struggling? "The pervasive, penetrating pulse of all that music was a god damn miracle, all at once a soothing balm, a shattering depth charge, and a transcendent window into other dimensions." ?Can art help us reimagine and recreate the social and cultural fabric of our communities? "One of the bedrock understandings of the hippie universe was, to coin a phrase “you can't always get what you want, but if you really need it, well, you can make it yourself.” So, in no time at all, we found ourselves imagining that we could make our OWN music.”?What was CETA and how did it give birth to an ever-expanding community arts movement? "The prison partnerships we forged … were both groundbreaking and challenging. They taught is a whole lot in a hurry about what artists need to do to build trust with new communities and neighborhood organizations."? How can art help change the toxic nature of America's prisons? "In those instants, we could see prison artists kind of tuning in, you know, moving from static to clear reception." ?How can these transformative stories feed the development of a growing community of creative change agents? "By the end of the Art in Other Places Conference, we had a mountain of documentation on artists and programs from all over the country. We had made a commitment to NEA to produce … a report, but to really tell the story of what was going on we had to do more, much more." ?How can artists help re-build civic infrastructure, heal unspeakable trauma, and give new voice to the forgotten and disappeared? "Art and Upheaval took me on an 8-year global journey, documenting artists working in communities facing intense, real-time conflict and trauma.” ?What is Change the Story / Change the World and why should anyone want to tune in? "We are doing this because we believe that meeting the obvious and daunting challenges of this century is going to require a revolution of thought and deed — in essence, a new set of stories powerful enough to change beliefs and behaviors." LINKSThe Hangin'...

In Episode 63 of Change the Story / Change the World, Liz Lerman shared stories about her early years and her creative path as a choreographer, teacher, and as a lifelong practicing heretic. In this Episode, (64) we hear about Wicked Bodies, her latest work, exploring the ugly, the beautiful, and the sublime embedded in the age-old story of witches. Special Thanks to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for their support of Liz Lerman's work and the use of an excerpt from the Wicked Bodies trailer. BIOLiz Lerman is a choreographer, performer, writer, teacher, and speaker. She has spent the past four decades making her artistic research personal, funny, intellectually vivid, and up to the minute. A key aspect of her artistry is opening her process to everyone from shipbuilders to physicists, construction workers to ballerinas, resulting in both research and experiences that are participatory, relevant, urgent, and usable by others.Called by the Washington Post “the source of an epochal revolution in the scope and purposes of dance art,”[4] she and her dancers have collaborated with shipbuilders, physicists, construction workers, and cancer researchers.[5] In 2002 she won the MacArthur Genius Grant;[6] in 2009, the Jack P. Blaney Award in Dialogue acknowledged her outstanding leadership, creativity, and dedication to melding dialogue with dance, and the 2017 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award.[7]She founded the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in 1976 and led the company's multi-generational ensemble until July 2011, when Lerman passed the leadership of her company to Cassie Meador;[8] the company is now called simply Dance Exchange.[9] .[10]Under Lerman's leadership Dance Exchange appeared across the U.S. in locations as various as the National Cathedral,[11] Kennedy Center Opera House,[12] and Millennium Stage,[13] Lansburgh Theatre,[14] Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,

This week we visit with researcher, writer, planner, Lorrie Chang to talk about her work with ArtPlace America's Community Development Investment (CDI) program. Along the way we will explore how artists from the Zuni Pueblo, and Southwest Minnesota worked with community developers to integrate arts-based tools and strategies as an enduring core of their practice? BIOLorrie Chang centers an arts and cultural-based approach to community change and development as a path to collective liberation. At PolicyLink, she designed and evaluated the nation's first Creative Placemaking technical assistance program for The National Endowment for the Arts, served as the research partner for ArtPlace's experiment to integrate arts and culture strategies into community development organizations, and supported six arts organizations advancing equitable policies across the country. In East Portland, she led community engagement rooted in storytelling for The People's Plan-- a plan by and for the people projecting a vision for a thriving Black community. As a Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' Truth Fellow, she explored, "How do we find and empower TRUTH?". Last year, in stillness, she humbly pursued, “What does liberation look like for me?”. She now seeks to alchemize her journey of personal liberation to serve collective liberation. Lorrie holds a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning and resides in San Francisco. Notable MentionsThe Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP) is a non-profit community development corporation serving communities throughout Southwest and South Central Minnesota.Partnership Art: In 2015, SWMHP was one of six organizations that received funding through Artplace America to participate in the Community Development Investments (CDI) Program. The CDI Program was launched to investigate and support place-based organization incorporating art and culture into our core work, allowing us to better fulfill our mission of creative thriving place to live, grow and work.Place-based Productions: We are a production company that explores community stories through site-specific performance and the arts. Our work cultivates stewards of community identity by connecting people to their common places, stories and relationships.Our goals are to foster creativity, play, and, above all, a sense of place.ArtPlace America was a ten-year, $150 million collaboration among a number of foundations, federal agencies, and financial institutions that operated from 2010 to 2020. Our mission was to position arts and culture as a core sector of equitable community...

Arlene GoldbardIn this episode we talk to author, visual artist, educator, and activist Arlene Goldbard about her new book. In the Camp of Angels of Freedom: What Does it Mean to be Educated. In it she explores her life's journey along with a camp of 11 angels that include James Baldwin, Nina Simone, Paolo Freire, Doris Lessing, and Jane Jacobs. BioArlene Goldbard (www.arlenegoldbard.com) is a New Mexico-based writer, speaker, consultant, cultural activist, and visual artist whose focus is the intersection of culture, politics and spirituality. Her books include The Wave, The Culture of Possibility: Art, Artists & The Future; New Creative Community: The Art of Cultural Development, Community, Culture and Globalization, Crossroads: Reflections on the Politics of Culture, and Clarity. Her new book, In The Camp of Angels of Freedom: What Does It Mean to Be Educated? was published by New Village Press in January 2023. Her essays have been widely published. She has addressed academic and community audiences in the U.S. and Europe and provided advice to community-based organizations, independent media groups, institutions of higher education, and public and private funders and policymakers. Along with François Matarasso, she co-hosts “A Culture of Possibility,” a podcast produced by miaaw.net. From 2012 to 2019, she served as Chief Policy Wonk of the USDAC (usdac.us). From 2008-2019, she served as President of the Board of Directors of The Shalom Center. Notable MentionsChange the Story / Change the World: A Chronicle of art and community transformation across the globe.Change the Story Collection: Many of our listeners have told us they would like to dig deeper into art and change stories that focus on specific issues, constituencies, or disciplines. Others have shared that they are using the podcast as a learning resource and would appreciate categories and cross-references for our stories. In response we have curated episode collections in 11 arenas: Justice Arts, Children and Youth, Racial Reckoning, Creative Climate Action, Cultural Organizing, Creative Community Leadership Development, Arts and Healing, Art of the Rural, Theater for Change, Music and Transformation, Change Media. In the Camp of Angels of Freedom: What Does it Mean to be Educated: An autodidact explores issues of education itself through essays and personal portraits of the key minds who influenced her. What does it mean to be...

This episode's guest is artist, educator, and global cultural leader, Eric Booth. Eric's passion is activating the artistry of others to foster wellness, create thriving communities and change behaviors for the better. Eric has written seven books, taught at Juilliard, Stanford, Lincoln Center, and consulted on arts, learning, teaching, and innovation across the globe.BIOIn 2015 Eric Booth was given the nation's highest award in arts education (the first artist to receive it). He began as a Broadway actor, and became a businessman (his company became the largest of its kind in the U.S. in 7 years), and author of seven books, including the bestseller The Everyday Work of Art, Playing for Their Lives (the only book about music for social change programs around the world) and Tending the Perennials, and over 30 published articles. He has been on the faculty of Juilliard (12 years), Tanglewood (5 years), The Kennedy Center (20 years), and Lincoln Center Education (for 41 years). He serves as a consultant for many arts organizations (including seven of the ten largest U.S. orchestras), cities, states and businesses around the U.S., and in 11 other countries. He has founded and led teaching artist training programs around the world. A frequent keynote speaker, he gave the closing keynote to UNESCO's first world arts education conference, and founded the International Teaching Artist Collaborative. Website : ericbooth.netNotable MentionsAnton Checkhov: 29 January 1860[note 2] – 15 July 1904[note 3]) was a Russian[3] playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics.[The Bear: A Joke in One Act, or The Boor (Russian: Медведь: Шутка в одном действии, tr. Medved': Shutka v odnom deystvii, 1888), is a one-act comedic play written by Russian author Anton Chekhov. The play was originally dedicated to Nikolai Nikolaevich Solovtsov, Chekhov's boyhood friend and director/actor who first played the character Smirnov.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: 29 September 1934 – 20 October 2021) was a Hungarian-American psychologist. He recognized and named the psychological concept of "flow", a highly focused mental state conducive to productivity.

This episode is Art in a Democracy: Selected Plays of Roadside Theater. Our conversation with editor Ben Fink and contributor Arnaldo J. Lopez. explores Roadside's 50-year history of creative collaboration percolating at the crossroads of art, community, and America's struggle to craft an authentic living democracy. BIO'sBen Fink: Ben Fink worked with the Roadside ensemble from 2015 through 2020, as a member of the Betsy! Scholars' Circle, as the founding organizer of the Letcher County Culture Hub and the Performing Our Future coalition, and as the cofounder of the cross-partisan dialogue project Hands Across the Hills. He has also served as dramaturg on the German premieres of two Broadway musicals, made theater with Turkish and Arab high school students, and chaired a Lutheran faith community in Minnesota. His work in theater, organizing, pedagogy, and economic development has been featured by Salon.com, the Brookings Institution, TDR/The Drama Review, Harvard Law School, Americans for the Arts, PolicyLink, and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2020, Ben was recognized by Time magazine as one of “27 People Bridging Divides Across America.” He is the general editor of Art in a Democracy. Arnaldo J Lopez: is a cultural worker with a Ph.D. in Latin/o American Literatures and Cultures from New York University. He first joined Pregones Theater when the company set out to transform a South Bronx warehouse into a vibrant performing arts center, and later helped engineer a merger with the historic Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in Manhattan. Versed in a broad set of creative, community, and nonprofit topics, he works with artists in mapping paths toward joyful and sustainable practice. His background also includes ten years in letterpress and graphic design.Notable MentionsArt in a Democracy, the selected plays of Roadside Theater, volumes 1 and 2: This two-volume anthology tells the story of Roadside Theater's first 45 years and includes nine award-winning original play scripts; ten essays by authors from different disciplines and generations, which explore the plays' social, economic, and political circumstances; and a critical recounting of the theater's history from 1975 through 2020. ArtinAdemocracy.org: The official Art in a Democracy website. New Village Press is Art in a Democracy's publisher. The mission of New Village Press is to promote and enrich public discussion and understanding of issues vital to the development of healthy, creative, and socially just communities. To that end, New Village publishes transdisciplinary books that animate emerging movements in societal transformation. In conjunction, the Press also sponsors lectures, forums, and exhibitions for the public, especially for those communities that are underserved.Junebug Productions emerged from the Free Southern Theater in 1980 with a mission to create and support artistic works that question and confront inequitable conditions that have historically impacted the Black community. "Through interrogation, we challenge ourselves and those aligned with the organization to make greater and deeper contributions towards a just society."John...

ANNE BASTING's work at the crossroads of Arts and Aging has allowed her to pioneer new approaches to the challenges faced by our aging population. In this episode we learn how her efforts have helped advance the creative aging approach as a powerful and effective prescription for reducing isolation, promoting social connections, and mitigating a the symptoms of dementia. BIOAnne Basting is a writer, artist and advocate for the power of creativity to transform our lives. She is Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Founder of the award-winning non-profit TimeSlips.org, which trains, inspires, and supports caregivers to infuse creativity into care. Her writing and large-scale public performances have helped shape an international movement to extend creative and meaningful expression from childhood, where it is expected, through to late life, where it has been too long withheld.Her books include Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Elder and Dementia Care (Harper), Penelope: An Arts-based Odyssey to Transform Eldercare (U of Iowa), and Forget Memory: Creating Better Lives for People with Dementia (Johns Hopkins). Internationally recognized for her speaking and her innovative work, Anne is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and numerous major awards and grants. She believes that creative engagement can and should be infused into every aging care system and has trained/consulted with Meals on Wheels, libraries, home care companies, senior centers, memory cafes, museums, adult day programs, and every level of long-term care.In 2019, Anne collaborated with a team of artists, elders, and caregivers on her largest project yet – a reimagining of the story of Peter Pan with 12 rural Kentucky nursing homes. She is currently obsessed with growing the memory cafe infrastructure across the United States. Change the Story Collections: Connecting the DotsArts-based community development comes in many flavors: dancers, and painters working with children and youth; poets and potters collaborating with incarcerated artists: cultural organizers in service to communities addressing racial injustice, and in this episode related to arts and aging.Many of our listeners have told us they would like to dig deeper into art and change stories that focus on specific issues, constituencies, or disciplines. For anyone who is interested here are links to other Change the Story Episode episodes related to this episode's subject. Change the Story Collection: Arts and HealingEpisode 63 and Episode 64: A Conversation with Liz LermanNotable MentionsThe following are links to more information about notable programs, people, and...

In this episode Veronica Rojas talks about working to advance new insights and ideas about creative aging alongside neurologists, architects, journalists, economists, psychologists, educators, and other artists as a Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. It's quite an adventure. BIOVeronica Rojas: Veronica Rojas (b. Mexico City, 1973) was born into a multi-cultural family; her father is Mexican and her mother Swedish. Veronica grew up in Mexico City where she was exposed from very early on to the art of Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington and Frida Kahlo. These artists have ever since remained a big influence in Veronica's artwork. In 1995 she came to San Francisco, USA, to get a BFA at the San Francisco Art Institute and later an MFA at the California College of the Arts. She currently lives in Oakland, California. Veronica has shown her work nationally and internationally. She has been a Visual Aid Grant recipient and has been nominated to The Eureka Fellowship Grant and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant. In 2011 Veronica got the Jerome Caja Terrible Beauty Award. Veronicas' paintings have been reviewed in Artweek Magazine, Bay Area Express, Metro Active and the TV program Latin Eyes. Currently, Veronica is an Atlantic Fellow for Brain Health and Equity at the Global Brain Health Institute.Notable MentionsGlobal Brain Health Institute: The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) is dedicated to protecting the world's aging populations from threats to brain health. We strive to improve brain health for populations across the world, reaching into local communities and across our global network. GBHI brings together a powerful mix of disciplines, professions, backgrounds, skills, perspectives, and approaches to develop new science-based solutions. The Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health: program provides innovative training, networking, and support to emerging leaders focused on improving brain health and reducing the impact of dementia.Creative Growth Center: Founded in 1974, Creative Growth is a leader in the field of arts and disabilities, establishing a model for a creative community guided by the principle that art is fundamental to human expression and that all people are entitled to its tools of communication. From the first day Creative Growth started in the East Bay home of Elias Katz and Florence Ludins-Katz, the vision was clear. Art would be the path forward for people with disabilities to express themselves and a professional gallery would exhibit their work.Art With Elders: Founded in 1991, AWE engages older adults in fine arts classes and shares their work and life experience through public exhibits. Through classes and exhibits, the AWE program provides older adults with a vehicle for self-expression, social connection, and a presence in the larger community. Classes are taught in person and online by professional artists and are available in 5 languages. Exhibits engage artists and audiences through the power of creativity, deepening connection between cultures and generations.Creative Minds UCSF: Established in 2020, Creative Minds is a community arts for brain health initiative in San Francisco. This unique...

In this episode international arts and aging leader Dominic Campbell will share his thoughts about some intriguing questions: Can an active creative culture change the scary stories we tell ourselves about getting older? Can large scale festivals help communities find common ground in their work with older citizens? What is creative aging and why is it being embraced by gerontologists, and brain scientists across the planet?BIODominic Campbell is the originator and co-leader of Creative Aging International. As Ireland's Bealtaine Festival's Director he steered the festivals growth and expansion over eight years. Formerly an Artistic Director of Ireland's national celebration, St Patrick's Festival, he transformed its three shows into ninety within four years growing production and managerial teams alongside the financial support required.Dominic went on to design and produce national celebrations marking the expansion of European Union in 2004 and Centenary celebrations for James Joyce. For “The Day Of Welcomes” marking EU expansion, he devised and produced 12 simultaneous festivals pairing EU expansion countries with Irish towns and cities engaging 2,500 artists from 32 countries.He mentored festivals in Wales (Gwanwynn), Scotland (Luminate), and has developed projects with partners in Australia and The Netherlands. In 2012 he established the first global conference on Creativity In Older Age opened by Irish President Michael D Higgins.In 2016 he became an inaugural Atlantic Fellow for Equity and Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute a project between Trinity College Dublin and University College Southern California an ambitious worldwide program seeking social and public health solutions to reduce the scale and adverse impact of dementia.Recognized by The Irish Times as one of the top ten key cultural influencers in Ireland he seeks strategic and business partners to develop Creative Aging International.Notable MentionsGlobal Brain Health Institute: The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) is dedicated to protecting the world's aging populations from threats to brain health. “We strive to improve brain health for populations across the world, reaching into local communities and across our global network. GBHI brings together a powerful mix of disciplines, professions, backgrounds, skills, perspectives, and approaches to develop new science-based solutions. “The Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health: The Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health program at GBHI provides innovative training, networking, and support to emerging leaders focused on improving brain health and reducing the impact of dementia in their local communities and on a global scale. It is one of seven global Atlantic Fellows programs to advance fairer, healthier, and more inclusive societies.Chuck Feeney is an American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune as a co-founder of the Hong Kong based Duty Free Shoppers Group. He is the founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world. Feeney gave away his fortune in secret for many years, until a business dispute...

In Episode 71, Dominic Campbell talked about the community building power of Caribbean Carnival and working with cutting edge brain science at the Global Brain Health Institute. In this episode, Dominic Campbell explores questions like: What roles can artists can play at the intersection of science, healthcare, and policymaking? What conditions support radical collaborative thinking and design? And how can artists help scientists communicate with the real world, or as Dominic puts it “lab to table.”BIODominic Campbell is the originator and co-leader of Creative Aging International. As Ireland's Bealtaine Festival's Director he steered the festivals growth and expansion over eight years. Formerly an Artistic Director of Ireland's national celebration, St Patrick's Festival, he transformed its three shows into ninety within four years growing production and managerial teams alongside the financial support required. Dominic went on to design and produce national celebrations marking the expansion of European Union in 2004 and Centenary celebrations for James Joyce. For “The Day Of Welcomes” marking EU expansion, he devised and produced 12 simultaneous festivals pairing EU expansion countries with Irish towns and cities engaging 2,500 artists from 32 countries.He mentored festivals in Wales (Gwanwynn), Scotland (Luminate), and has developed projects with partners in Australia and The Netherlands. In 2012 he established the first global conference on Creativity In Older Age opened by Irish President Michael D Higgins. In 2016 he became an inaugural Atlantic Fellow for Equity and Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute a project between Trinity College Dublin and University College Southern California an ambitious worldwide program seeking social and public health solutions to reduce the scale and adverse impact of dementia.Recognized by The Irish Times as one of the top ten key cultural influencers in Ireland he seeks strategic and business partners to develop Creative Aging International.Notable MentionsChange the Story Collection: Creative Aging: In the rapidly growing creative care field, the arts are increasingly seen as a powerful and effective prescription for reducing isolation, healing, trauma, promoting vital and essential social connections, mitigating, and delaying the symptoms of dementia, and also changing the way we all think about aging. The artists in this collection are working communities, healthcare facilities, and laboratories to advance new insights and ideas about creative aging alongside neuroscientists, public health professionals, architects, journalists, economists, psychologists, educators, and other artistsGlobal Brain Health Institute: The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) is dedicated to protecting the world's aging populations from threats to brain health. “We strive to improve brain health for populations across the world, reaching into local communities and across our global network. GBHI brings together a powerful mix of disciplines, professions, backgrounds, skills, perspectives, and approaches to develop new science-based solutions. “The Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health: The Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health program at GBHI provides innovative training, networking, and support to emerging leaders focused on improving brain health and reducing the impact of dementia in their local communities and on a global scale. It is one of seven...

This episode and next will tell the story my time with Breaking Ice and share what I learned about the program's evolution and history, its impact, and its innovative approach helping workplaces large and small "cultivate courageous dialogue around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. BIO'sNoël Raymond holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota and a BFA from Ithaca College in New York. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Multicultural Development Center and the Burning House Group Theatre Company which she co-founded in 1993. She is also a company member of Carlyle Brown and Company. She has taught acting classes and theatre movement in multiple settings to children, college students and adults with developmental disabilities. Noël is an Equity actor who has performed with Pillsbury House Theatre, the Burning House Group, the Guthrie Theater, Penumbra Theatre, Bryant Lake Bowl, and Minnesota Festival Theatres in Minnesota as well as the Hangar Theatre in New York. Noël's directing credits include Underneath the Lintel, An Almost Holy Picture, Far Away, Angels in America: Parts I and II, and [sic] at Pillsbury House Theatre, From Shadows to Light at Theatre Mu, The BI Show with MaMa mOsAiC, and multiple staged readings and workshops through the Playwrights' Center, among others. Noël has served on numerous panels including TCG/American Theatre, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Playwright's Center and United Arts, to name a few.Kurt Kwan has been creating performances and facilitating dialogues around issues of Diversity and Inclusion with the Breaking Ice company since 2001. He also manages the Late Nite and Naked Stages programs. As an actor he has performed with Ten Thousand Things, The Walker, Childrens Theatre Company, Mu Performing Arts, New York Asian American Writers, The History Theatre, and Theatre La Homme Dieu.Notable MentionsDEI programs: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (usually abbreviated DEI) refers to organizational frameworks which seek to promote "the fair treatment and full participation of all people", particularly groups "who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination" on the basis of identity or disability.[1]Barnes Jewish Hospital is the largest hospital in the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, it is the adult teaching hospital for the

Breaking Ice - Chapter 2Fear of judgement, the courage of sharing pain, or guilt, or confusion, owning that not knowing is not an excuse for hurting, that humility is hard, that learning hard things is harder, and accepting responsibility is a daily struggle. This is the rocky relational landscape being explored by five BreakIng Ice performers on a bare stage at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. louis, Missouri in the winter of 2019.LISTEN TO Breaking Ice Chapter 1Change the Story / All Episodes Change the Story Collections - Our full catalogue of Episodes in 12 Collections: Justice Arts, Art & Healing, Cultural Organizing, Arts Ed./Children & Youth, Community Arts Training, Music for Change, Theater for Change, Change Making Media, Creative Climate Action, Art of the RuralBIO'sNoël Raymond holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota and a BFA from Ithaca College in New York. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Multicultural Development Center and the Burning House Group Theatre Company which she co-founded in 1993. She is also a company member of Carlyle Brown and Company. She has taught acting classes and theatre movement in multiple settings to children, college students and adults with developmental disabilities. Noël is an Equity actor who has performed with Pillsbury House Theatre, the Burning House Group, the Guthrie Theater, Penumbra Theatre, Bryant Lake Bowl, and Minnesota Festival Theatres in Minnesota as well as the Hangar Theatre in New York. Noël's directing credits include Underneath the Lintel, An Almost Holy Picture, Far Away, Angels in America: Parts I and II, and [sic] at Pillsbury House Theatre, From Shadows to Light at Theatre Mu, The BI Show with MaMa mOsAiC, and multiple staged readings and workshops through the Playwrights' Center, among others. Noël has served on numerous panels including TCG/American Theatre, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Playwright's Center and United Arts, to name a few.Kurt Kwan has been creating performances and facilitating dialogues around issues of Diversity and Inclusion with the Breaking Ice company since 2001. He also manages the Late Nite and Naked Stages programs. As an actor he has performed with Ten Thousand Things, The Walker, Childrens Theatre Company, Mu Performing Arts, New York Asian American Writers, The History Theatre, and Theatre La Homme Dieu.Notable MentionsDEI programs: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (usually abbreviated DEI) refers to organizational frameworks which seek to promote "the fair treatment and full participation of all people", particularly groups "who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination" on the basis of

Spending time with the Breaking Ice theater based diversity, equity, and inclusion program gave rise to a question: How might new insights about how the brain works might help us better understand the how and why of our continuing struggle with difference? Here is what ensued. LISTEN TO Breaking Ice Chapter 1LISTEN TO Breaking Ice Chapter 2Change the Story / All Episodes Change the Story Collections - Our full catalogue of Episodes in 12 Collections: Justice Arts, Art & Healing, Cultural Organizing, Arts Ed./Children & Youth, Community Arts Training, Music for Change, Theater for Change, Change Making Media, Creative Climate Action, Art of the RuralNotable MentionsBreaking Ice is the award-winning program of Pillsbury House Theatre that for over 20 years has been “breaking the ice” for courageous and productive dialogue around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. A diverse company of professional actors portrays real-life situations that are customized to meet the goals, needs and culture of each unique organization we serve.Pillsbury House and Theater is a groundbreaking “new model for human service work that recognizes the power of the arts and culture to stimulate community participation, investment and ownership.” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: was a Hungarian-American psychologist. He recognized and named the psychological concept of "flow", a highly focused mental state conducive to productivity.[1][2] He was the Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He was also the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College.[3]SourcesQuestion 2: How does our environment what we think and believe? 1.Lobel, T. (2014) Sensations: The New Science of Physical Intelligence, Simon & Schuster.2 Eagleman, David. The Brain: The Story of You. Pg., 105, Vintage Books, 2017Question 4: Why are stories...

Episode 76: Alice Lovelace: How to Thrive as a Creative Change Agent (Reprise)Lately, we have heard from many artists and arts organizations who are joining the creative change movement. In response, we are revisiting Alice's story of creativity, chutzpah, and courage as a peaceful disrupter making serious change across the deep south under the most challenging conditions. For more inspiring change maker stories also check out the Change the Story Collection: Threshold Questions & Delicious QuotesWhat is "This Poem" really about?This poem is a cultural hybrid Travelin' everywhereBelongin' nowhereIrresponsible, Irreverent And totally irrelevantWhat do you mean by Peaceful Disrupter?I am never happy with the status quo. So, I'm always looking for ways to disrupt the status quo and to move it in a more progressive [way] or [by] empowering those who I see are being left behind.And that has to happen a lot, they have to be those who make other people uncomfortable, so that in their discomfort they actually deeply contemplate change. Because when we are comfortable, we don't contemplate change.... I'm a peaceful disruptor. I don't get loud. I don't, I definitely look for opportunities to shift power and to shift the conversation...What does "asking permission" mean in a classroom?When I walk into a classroom, the first thing I say to my class is I asked permission to be there. And often the teachers don't understand that, but I will say to the students, “this is your community, and I am an interloper, and other adults have made a decision that I should be here, but the rightful decision-makers are you because you were the one who had the power to make this a success or to make it a failure”. So, I always ask their permission.How can you fight the power of the false narrative?I've never forgot the lesson of. Standing up to bullies, not getting into the stories people are telling about you, ...the moment that you try to speak to that story, all it's going to do is keep that story spinning. So, I would never address it.Music AttributionVariations on a theme 1 » The Rush (w/ drum) - Variations 1 (c) by PodcastACThis work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.You should have received a copy of the license along with thiswork. If not, see

Over the past four decades, this episode's guest, Cynthia Winton-Henry, and the worldwide community, she and her collaborator, Phil Porter, have helped to grow, have sparked a reconvening of the pre-historic circle of dance and song, and story that animated and nurtured the nascent human community. For more inspiring change maker stories also check out the Change the Story CollectionBIOCynthia Winton-Henry, M.Div, co-founded InterPlay (www.interplay.org) with Phil Porter in 1989. They mentor teachers around the world in best practices to build community and unlock the wisdom of the body using movement, story, stillness, and voice. Cynthia hosts weekly Online Dance Chapels at the Hidden Monastery at www.cynthiawinton-henry.com and teaches the initiations needed by gifted and sensitive bodies using her Self-Care Playbook in the Art of Ensoulment. She's taught at Holy Names University's Sophia Center and the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, and at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, where she received the Distinguished Alumni Award. Her books include Move: What the Body Wants by Woodlake Press, Chasing the Dance of Life published by Apocryphile Press and Dance: A Sacred Art by Skylight Press, and wrote the concluding essay "Grace Operatives: How Body Wisdom Changed the World" in Phenomonlogies of Grace edited by Marcus Bussey and Camilla Mozzini.Notable MentionsInterplay: InterPlay is an active, creative way to unlock the wisdom of the bodyPhil Porter: Phil is one of the founders of InterPlay. He is a teacher, performer, writer, and organizer. With Cynthia Winton-Henry he is the co-founder of WING IT! Performance Ensemble, and has written several books, some in collaboration with Cynthia, including Having It All: Body, Mind, Heart & Spirit Together Again at Last and The Slightly Mad Rantings of a Body Intellectual Part One. Phil is particularly interested in the use of InterPlay in organizational life and believes that InterPlay can be a powerful tool to create communities of diversity and peace.African Art in Motion: The exhibition was based on a concept of Robert Farris Thompson, associate professor of art history at Yale University, that African art can only be understood through a grasp of African dance and ritual and in the special language of body motion: implied, arrested, or expressed. TRuth St. Dennis: was an American pioneer of modern dance, introducing eastern ideas into the art and paving the way for other women in dance. She was inspired by the Delsarte advocate Genevieve Stebbins. St. Denis was the co-founder in 1915 of the American Denishawn...

Carlton Turner understands that when you can't feed yourself the imagination is the first thing to go And if you can't "see" a different future you can't make change. Sipp Culture is about feeding both the body and the mind's eye. BIOCarlton Turner is an artist, agriculturalist, researcher, and co-founder of the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production (Sipp Culture). Sipp Culture uses food and story to support rural community development in his hometown of Utica, Mississippi where his family has been for eight generations. He currently serves on the board of First Peoples Fund, Imagining America, Project South and the National Black Food and Justice Alliance. Carlton is a member of the We Shall Overcome Fund Advisory Committee at the Highlander Center for Research and Education and is the former Executive Director of Alternate ROOTS and is a founding partner of the Intercultural Leadership Institute.Carlton is a current Interdisciplinary Research Fellow with the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and was named to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts YBCA100. He is also a former Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellow and former Cultural Policy Fellow at the Creative Placemaking Institute at Arizona State University's Herberger Institute for Design in the Arts.Carlton Turner is also co-founder and co-artistic director, along with his brother Maurice Turner, of the group M.U.G.A.B.E.E. (Men Under Guidance Acting Before Early Extinction). M.U.G.A.B.E.E. is a Mississippi-based performing arts group that blends of jazz, hip-hop, spoken word poetry and soul music together with non-traditional storytelling. His current work is River Sols, a new play being developed in collaboration with Pangea World Theater that explores race, identity, class, faith, and difference across African American and South Asian communities through embodiment of a river.He is also a member of the Rural Wealth Lab at RUPRI (Rural Policy Research Institute) and an advisor to the Kresge Foundation's FreshLo Initiative. In 2018, Carlton was awarded the Sidney Yates Award for Advocacy in the Performing Arts by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. Carlton has also received the M. Edgar Rosenblum award for outstanding contribution to Ensemble Theater (2011) and the Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre (2015).Notable MentionsSIPP Culture: The Mississippi Center for Cultural Production is an approach and resource for cultivating thriving communities. Based in the rural South, “Sipp Culture” is honoring the history and building the future of our own community of Utica, MS. Sipp Culture supports community development from the ground up through cultural production focused on self-determination and agency designed by us and for us. We believe that history, culture, and food affirm our individual and collective humanity. So, we are strengthening our local food system, advancing health equity, and supporting rural artistic voices – while activating the power of story – all to promote the legacy and vision of our hometown.Octavia Butler: OCTAVIA E. BUTLER was a renowned African American author who received a MacArthur “Genius” Grant and PEN West Lifetime Achievement Award for her body of work. Born in Pasadena in 1947, she was raised by her mother and her grandmother. She was the author of several award-winning novels including PARABLE OF THE SOWER (1993), which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and PARABLE OF THE TALENTS (1995) winner of the Nebula Award for the best science fiction novel published that year. She was acclaimed for her lean prose, strong protagonists, and social observations in stories that range from the distant past to the...

Throughout his career, activist, organizer, educator, and author Harry Boyte. has asked a simple, but obviously challenging question: How can we make democracy an everyday practice for everyone? Given the warnings about the end of democracy, our discussion about role of culture in the labor and civil rights movements, and the inseparable nature of imagination and democracy is timely, to say the least. BIOHarry C. Boyte is a co-founder with Marie Ström of the Public Work Academy and Senior Scholar of Public Work Philosophy, both at Augsburg University. He also founded the international youth civic education initiative Public Achievement and the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the University of Minnesota, now merged into the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship at Augsburg University. Boyte's forthcoming book, Awakening Democracy through Public Work, Vanderbilt University Press 2018, recounts lessons from more than 25 years of revitalizing the civic purposes of K-12, higher education, professions, and other settings. In the 1960s, Boyte was a Field Secretary for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization headed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and subsequently was a community and labor organizer in the South. Boyte has authored ten other books on democracy, citizenship, and community organizing and his articles and essays have appeared in more than 150 publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Political Theory, Chronicle of Higher Education, Policy Review, Dissent, and the Nation. Notable MentionsPart One: Free SpacesPublic AchievementSabo Center for Democracy and CitizenshipAwakening Democracy Through Public Work, Harry Boyte Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)Judge William HastieSCLC - Citizenship SchoolsBrown V. Board of Education The Big Tomorrow: Hollywood and The Politics of The American Way, Larry MayCultural Front, Michael DenningNixon/Khrushchev Kitchen DebateInstitute for Public Life and WorkThird Way Civics: A Cultural Pluralist view of American Democracy and History Trygve Throntveit,Creative Community Leadership, UMass AmherstPart Two:...

In our last conversation, (Episode 26) we shared Alice Lovelace's tumultuous history as a solo teaching artist and performer working with young writers all across the rural south. What follows is Alice's next chapter. In it she talks about building an extraordinary multi-disciplinary, cross-sector cultural institution that rises up from the funky detritus of the pandemic as a new beachhead of creative change in a small Georgia Community. BIOAlice Lovelace is a cultural worker, performance artist, teacher, poet, organizer, author, playwright, and arts administer. Since 1976 Atlanta has been her home of choice; a fertile ground for artistic growth and activism, and in 1978, she discovered the Neighborhood Arts Center and met Ebon Dooley (Leo Hale) and Toni Cade Bambara. Together, they organized poetry readings and classes while conducting meetings for the Southern Collective of African American Writers (SCAAW). In 1981, Ebon and Alice founded the nonprofit: Southeast Community Cultural Center located at the former Grant Park Elementary School and in 1984 opened the former school as The Arts Exchange – a studio space for artists, a theater, recording studio, two galleries, a dance studio, and home to the Atlanta Writers Resource Center. Between 1998 and 2000 Alice became executive director of Alternate ROOTS, an artists-led southern regional organization; and along with Dr. Lisa Delpit and actress Jane Fonda, she founded and stepped into the role of executive director of the Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning (APAL). Currently serving as the president of the board of ArtsXchange, Alice continues to serve the public need through programs implemented at the nonprofit's newly renovate facility in East Point, GA.

Prison Truth Through FictionHow do you prepare artists to teach in the foggy upside down netherworld of prison? This episode tells how California's Arts in Corrections program answered that question with a twist. Excerpted from the recently published, The Book of Judith (New Village Press) and tells the amazing story of how poet/teacher Judith Tannenbaum's crafted the story of a fictional prison to reveal the often confounding reality of prison life. The Book of Judith: Opening Hearts Through PoetryEdited by Spoon Jackson, Mark Foss, and Sara PressAn homage to the life of poet, writer, and teaching artist Judith Tannenbaum (b. 1947 – d. 2019) and her impact on incarcerated and marginalized students. The book presents different aspects of Judith through a collection of original poetry, prose, essays, illustrations, and fiction from 33 contributors who knew her. Each piece of writing spotlights a voice that Judith's teachings once touched, and these combined memories help form a clearer picture of her legacy.Five pencil drawings, inspired by those serving life sentences in prison without possibility of parole, separate the book into the following sections: Unfinished Conversations, After December, Looking and Listening, and Legacy. In Unfinished Conversations, contributors share their bond with Judith Tannenbaum through prose and excerpts from letters both real and imagined. In the second section, After December, poets reflect on the life, artistry, and legacy of Judith. The third section, Looking and Listening, focuses on the truth-seeking qualities that Judith brought to her work. The fourth section, Legacy, features work from winners of an award and a fellowship bestowed in her name.Click Here to Access 9 Stories Exploring the Work of Artists in Prison in our JUSTICE ARTS COLLECTION

BioBarry Gillespie was introduced to meditation practice in 1978, through the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashram. In 2003 he began exploring Theravada Buddhist practice, sitting many long retreats at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and Spirit Rock in Woodacre, CA. His principal teacher is Guy Armstrong. Barry is an affiliated teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Colorado (IMCC). He teaches mainly in Boulder and at the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center.Notable MentionsStoryStory: A book and a short movie by William Cleveland and Barry Marcus.Find the book @ https://issuu.com/williamcleveland/docs/story_story_full_issuu_pagesFind the movie @ https://youtu.be/pwI0GGW8zTs?si=qwfYhmJRET7-FGpsBuckhorn Center: An experimental therapeutic and cultural center, north of Toronto Canada that operated in the 1980's.Swami Vishnu Devananda: Vishnudevananda Saraswati was an Indian yoga guru known for his teaching of asanas, a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati, and founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams. He established the Sivananda Yoga Teachers' Training Course, possibly the first yoga teacher training programs in the West. WikipediaThe Experience of Insight by Joseph Goldstein: a modern classic of unusually clear, practical instruction for the practice of Buddhist meditation: sitting and walking meditation, how one relates with the breath, feelings, thought, sense perceptions, consciousness, and everyday activities. Basic Buddhist topics such as the nature of karma, the four noble truths, the factors of enlightenment, dependent origination, and devotion are discussed.Pali Canon: The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language.[1] It is the most complete extant early Buddhist canon.[2][3] It derives mainly from the

Àmọ̀kẹ́ Kubat's work rises up in a dozen different overlapping directions. In North Minneapolis you'll likely hear her described as an organizer, a puppeteer, a healer, a priestess, a playwright, a counselor, a writer, a teacher, an actress, a curator, a storyteller, and more often than not, a provocateur. Bio: Amoke Kubat is an artist, weaver, sacred doll maker, and sometimes stand-up comedian, who uses her art to speak truth to power and hold a position of wellness in an America sick with inequality and inequity. In 2010, Amoke began developing her Art of Mothering workshops, which became the foundation of Yo Mama's House: a cooperative for women who are artists, mothers, activists, and healers in North Minneapolis. Amoke used her residency to support the development of Yo Mama's House by building relationships with researchers of African history, race studies, and other fields that might inform her work to reclaim Indigenous African sensibilities.Notable Mentions: Creative Community Leadership Institute (CCLI) Established in 2002 CCLI was a community arts leadership development training program developed by Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis, MN. Over its 22 year history the program supported a network of creative change agents who continue to use arts and culture to help build caring, capable, and sustainable communities. When Intermedia closed its doors in 2017 the program was suspended. The program re-emerged in 2021 under the auspices of Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul Minnesota, and Racing Magpie in Rapid City, South Dakota. The program supports the development of strong leaders capable of challenging and disrupting oppressive systems in their communities by approaching their work with a critical lens and commitment to recognizing systems of oppression and normalizing conversations about race and colonialism. CCLI serves Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota artists.North Minneapolis: Northside is one of Minneapolis' most diverse neighborhood areas. Prince spent a few important formative, guitar-strumming, piano-tapping years in the area. The local businesses, events and entrepreneurs are bringing a new life and energy to the area with a focus on community-led growth. These changes include a thriving cultural presence, often seen through food and artistic expression. Paul Wellstone: (July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was an American academic, author, and politician who represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1991 until he was killed in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota, in 2002. Over the years, Wellstone worked with senators whose views were much more conservative than his, but he consistently championed the interests of the poor, the farmers, and the union workers against large banks, agribusiness, and multinational corporations.Yo Mama's House: Mission: Our philosophy and practice is to empower mothers by disrupting the devaluation of women's invisible labor and increasing the recognition of the ART of Mothering. It is MOTHERS' collective legacies of maternal wisdom and...

In Episode 34 Henry Frank shared the story of his long trek from San Quentin as a lifer, to finding both freedom and a community eager to learn from him as an artist, teacher, and healer. Here are three amazing new chapters that that Henry shared about his continuing journey.BioI am a descendant of the great nations of the Yurok and Pomo Tribes. I am a returning resident, former Arts In Corrections participant/clerk, and currently working for the William James Association as the Communications Administrator and Teaching Artist at California Medical Facility (CMF), High Desert State Prison (HDSP), and California Correctional Center (CCC). I use my art to amplify the voices of people of color (specifically Native Americans), people who are currently experiencing incarceration, and returning residents (aka formerly incarcerated) to expose the mistreatment, dehumanization, and desolation. These people have voices, my contribution is to make sure it is heard beyond the reservations and prison walls. My connection and coexistence within the natural world, my heritage, my culture, and incarceration experience inspire and shapes my artistic expression. I draw from my childhood, my spiritual practice, my memories/treatment from my incarceration and living as a Native American in a colonized based society. Art has freed and expanded my scope of humanity and myself, it has been a tool for introspection, connection, and expression. "Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It has let me express things within me that I could not ever put into words. It has given me healing, strength, insight, and patience. If it was not for artistic expression...I would not be the human being that I am today."Notable MentionsRed Tail Art: This is Henry Frank's artist website. Here is how he describes his practice: I enjoy bringing art into existence, I love the entire process, creating the backgrounds, finding the perfect image that fits the background, choosing the right colors to bring it to life, picking up the paintbrushes and mixing the colors and finally putting brush to canvas. It is very calming and relaxing, I go into a meditative state when I am the zone.The Museum of the American Indian: “Located in Marin County and situated on a site of an actual Miwok Village, the Museum is dedicated to providing the people of Northern California with programs and exhibits that deepen understanding and appreciation of Native American cultures.”Yurok People: “The mission of the Yurok Tribe is to exercise the aboriginal and sovereign rights of the Yurok People to continue forever our Tribal traditions of self-governance, cultural and spiritual preservation, stewardship of Yurok lands, waters and other natural endowments, balanced social and economic development, peace and reciprocity, and respect for the dignity and individual rights of all persons living within the jurisdiction of the Yurok Tribe, while honoring our Creator, our ancestors and our descendants.” Pomo People: “The Pomo are an indigenous people of California. The historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the

Tisidra Jones: is a poster child for cross-sector, hybrid creative community leadership. Trained in theater, and music, and as a lawyer, Tisidra has built a company that uses all of these assets in service to people and organizations working for change. BIOTisidra is a sought-after speaker, award-winning artist and lawyer who works at the intersection of inclusion, engagement and equal opportunity policies. Her methodology blends legal and policy research, sociological studies, and arts-based approaches to community and civic engagement. Tisidra's life, education, and professional experiences encompass rural communities, law, the arts, sociology, community engagement and multidisciplinary education. She has a B.A. in Music with a minor in the Sociology of Difference from George Mason University. She acquired her J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law and is licensed to practice law in New York and Minnesota.Tisidra has worked with nonprofits in the arts or those serving communities of color primarily when new programs were being launched or designed. On the public-sector side, she has worked with local, state, federal and international government entities. She acquired expertise as it relates to small, minority-owned, and women-owned business inclusion policies and programs. Whether working for the government or a nonprofit, every position Tisidra has held required project management, program design, infrastructure creation and community engagement.Finding connections across sectors has been integral to the work that Tisidra has done. As a result, she has served on over 30 boards, advisory councils and community engagement committees across sectors. She has also curated cross-sector advisory committees for major initiatives. Notable MentionsStrong and Starlight Consulting:INNOVATION | We are a company of creative individuals. Innovative ideas are at the core of who we are. So, we love having the opportunity to work with you as thought partners and a sounding board as you generate ideas.INFRASTRUCTURE | To get from idea to implementation, you cannot get there without crossing the sturdy bridge of infrastructure. We help you design the infrastructure needed to ensure that your ideas, once implemented, have the support, tools, policies, procedures, and capacity to be sustained. IMPLEMENTATION | Once the infrastructure is completed, we leave you with the tools and recommendations to take you through a pilot period and beyond. We can also continue working with you through the pilot period and equipping the next team that will carry you beyond your launch.Creative Community Leadership Institute (CCLI) Established in 2002 CCLI was a community arts leadership development training program developed by Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis, MN. Over its 22 year history the program supported a network of creative change agents who continue to use arts and culture to help build caring, capable, and sustainable communities. When Intermedia closed its doors in 2017 the program was suspended. The program re-emerged in 2021 under the auspices of Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul Minnesota, and Racing Magpie in Rapid City, South Dakota. The program supports the development of strong leaders capable of challenging and disrupting oppressive systems in their communities by approaching their work with a critical lens and commitment to recognizing systems of oppression and normalizing conversations about race and colonialism. CCLI serves Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota artists.

Scott Rankin: When I describe BIGhART to folks in the US they accuse me of making it up. In this episode Scott Rankin, BIGhART's founder, describes how this expansive, constantly morphing, multi-disciplinary, thirty-year long enterprise became one of the world's leading arts and social change organizations.BIOScott co-founded Big hART with friend John Bakes in 1992. As CEO and Creative Director, Scott leads the overarching vision for all Big hART projects – from pilot through to legacy. A leader and teacher in the field of social and cultural innovation, Scott provides daily mentorship and knowledge transfer to all Big hART staff so that they can in turn lead our projects with confidence.An award winning writer and director in his own right, Scott's works have been included many times in major arts festivals. His reputation is built on a quarter of a century of work, creating, funding and directing large-scale projects in diverse communities with high needs, in isolated settings.Big hART is Scott's passionate contribution to the arts and society.Notable MentionsBIGhART: Authentic, high-quality art made with communities.Big hART brings virtuosic artists into communities to collaborate and create authentic stories which illuminate local injustice. We present these stories to mainstream audiences to help raise awareness. This builds public support for change and helps to protect vulnerable people.Everyone, everywhere has the right to thrive.Big hART works with communities experiencing high levels of need. Rather than focusing on the problem, our unique non-welfare projects build on community assets, strengthening vulnerable individuals, and creating long term attitudinal shifts. Our hope is for all communities to flourish.Positive, generational change begins as a cultural shift.Big hART designs and delivers transformative projects to address complex social issues. Our cultural approaches are evaluated and acknowledged as best practice. Decision makers seeking better solutions can use our award winning projects to help develop new and better policy. We aim to drive generational change.Ngapartji Ngapartji: Big hART designed the Ngapartji Ngapartji project to raise awareness of Indigenous language loss, and the lack of an national Indigenous languages policy. In order to create visibility around these issues, we launched a language and culture teaching portal, offered audiences the chance to learn Pitjantjatjara through a small teaching show, created short teaching films, as well as music and CDs with a Pitjantjatjara choir. We made a high profile documentary, and finally, a large award winning touring show for national festivals. By creating this range of art products, we attracted exceptional media and gained high level political interest in the issue. This assisted in driving a new Indigenous language policy and increased funding to help prevent language loss.Trevor Jamieson is a veteran of stage and screen with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, and a long time creative partner with BIGhART. He is known as an Actor, Dancer, Musician and Storyteller and his portrait, taken by Brett Canet-Gibson, took out the People's Choice award for the 2017 National Portrait gallery exhibition in Canberra.Trevor is not only an accomplished actor but is also known for his ability on the guitar and didgeridoo. Trevor has also...

BIGhART is Australia's leading arts and social change organization.We make art, we build communities, we drive change. 30 years in operation, 62 communities engaged, 47 awards won, 550 artists contributed, 9, 500 people participated, 2. 6 million audience members. BIOScott Rankin co-founded Big hART with friend John Bakes in 1992. As CEO and Creative Director, Scott leads the overarching vision for all Big hART projects – from pilot through to legacy. A leader and teacher in the field of social and cultural innovation, Scott provides daily mentorship and knowledge transfer to all Big hART staff so that they can in turn lead our projects with confidence.An award winning writer and director in his own right, Scott's works have been included many times in major arts festivals. His reputation is built on a quarter of a century of work, creating, funding and directing large-scale projects in diverse communities with high needs, in isolated settings.Big hART is Scott's passionate contribution to the arts and society.Notable Mentions: BIGhART: Ngapartji Ngapartji: Big hART designed the Ngapartji Ngapartji project to raise awareness of Indigenous language loss, and the lack of an national Indigenous languages policy. Tasmania is an island state of Australia.[15] It is located 240 kilometres (150 miles) to the south of the Australian mainland, separated from it by the Bass Strait, with the archipelago containing the southernmost point of the country.Vaslav Nijinsky was a Russian[4] ballet dancer and choreographer of Polish ancestry.[5] He is regarded as the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century.

Arts On Prescription: What if your doctor prescribed an arts-based treatment for what ails you and your health insurance paid for it. YEAH RIGHT! Actually, Yeah, right, and REALLY! In this episode we learn all about it in Arts on Prescription: A Field Guide for U. S. CommunitiesBIO'sDr. Tasha Golden directs research for the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins Medicine. As a national leader in arts + public health, Dr. Golden studies the impacts of arts & culture, music, aesthetics, and social norms on well-being, health research, and professional practice. She has authored many publications related to arts and health, served as an advisor on several national health initiatives, and is adjunct faculty for the University of Florida's Center for Arts in Medicine.In addition to her research, Golden is a career artist and entrepreneur. As singer-songwriter for the critically acclaimed band Ellery, she toured full-time in the U.S. and abroad, and her songs appear in feature films and TV dramas (ABC, SHOWTIME, FOX, NETFLIX, etc). She is also a published poet and has taught university courses in public health as well as in writing, rhetoric, and literature. Holding a Ph.D. in Public Health Sciences, Dr. Golden draws on her diverse background to develop innovative, interdisciplinary presentations and partnerships that advance health, health equity, creativity, and well-being.Dr. Golden is also the founder of Project Uncaged: an arts-based health intervention for incarcerated teen women that amplifies their voices in community and policy discourses. These young folx are among her greatest teachers.Jill Sonke, PhD, is director of research initiatives in the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida (UF), director of national research and impact for the One Nation/One Project initiative, and co-director of the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab. She is an affiliated faculty member in the UF School of Theatre & Dance, the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, the Center for African Studies, the STEM Translational Communication Center, and the One Health Center, and is an editorial board member for Health Promotion Practice journal. She served in the pandemic as a senior advisor to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Confidence and Demand Team on the COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Task Force and currently serves on the steering committee of the Jameel Arts & Health Lab, established by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Steinhardt School at New York University, Community Jameel, and CULTURUNNERS. With 28 years of experience and leadership in the field of arts in health and a PhD in arts in public health from Ulster University in Northern Ireland, Jill is active in research and policy advocacy nationally and internationally. She is an artist and a mixed methods researcher with a current focus on population-level health outcomes associated with arts and cultural participation, arts in public health, and the arts in health communication. Notable MentionsNotable MentionsArts On Prescription: A Field Guide for US Communities.: A roadmap for communities to develop programs that integrate arts, culture, and nature resources into local health and social care systems. prescription

Michael McCarty in my prison workshops, they say. “Storytelling, you're going to show us how to tell the Three Little Pigs?” I say, “Every living person has at least one story they need to tell. And (telling) that story will help them in their relationship with the people around them, and the world, and more importantly, with themselves.BIOMichael McCarty: Mother always told me stories. I began telling stories formally when I was in high school in Chicago (St. Ignatius) in the 60's, stories of Africa and the struggles of African-Americans for freedom. In 1992 I met Joel ben Izzy from Berkeley, CA who was introduced to me as a professional storyteller. “You mean to tell me that people pay you to tell stories!?” I asked. I picked his brain and vowed that I was going to become a professional teller too, and my motto would be “Have mouth. Will run it.” A week or so later I asked myself what would I do as a profession if I was independently wealthy. Tell stories, was my answer.So I went to my local library and began collecting folk tales from different countries and reading books about storytelling. One day the Young Adult Librarian asked me why I was getting so many books of folk tales and asked if I was writing a paper. When I told him that I was a storyteller he said that he had a group of teenagers that wanted to learn storytelling. Could I give them a workshop? I said sure. The workshop was a success. Thus began my career. And I've been running my mouth around the country and around the world ever since.In 1996 I initiated the GRIOT Workshop in Leimert Park in Los Angeles. This is a place where anyone can come and get assistance in developing their storytelling skills. From 2004 until 2008 I was the Pacific Region Representative for the National Storytelling Network (NSN) Board of Directories.My life has been one heaven of a story: Student activist, Black Panther, US Army martial arts instructor, acupuncturist, world traveler, spiritual seeker, construction worker, storyteller, husband, father, crazy friend. Never a dull moment! I LOVE my life;-)Notable MentionsHigh John the Conqueror: John the Conqueror, also known as High John de Conqueror, John, Jack, and many other folk variants, is a folk hero from African-American folklore. He is associated with the roots of Ipomoea purga, the John the Conqueror root or John the Conqueroo, to which magical powers are ascribed in African-American folklore, especially among the Hoodoo tradition of folk magic.[Have mouth will run it: Michael D. McCarty's web siteBlack Panther Party: Founded in 1966 in Oakland, California the Black Panther Party for Self Defense was the era's most influential militant black power...

Can community theater help mend our broken and conflicted communities? In this episode Ash Hanson shares the story of what she and her many citizen collaborators have learned about how our place stories can help our communities not only heal but find new resilience and common ground.BIOAsh Hanson (she/her) has two decades of experience working with rural communities to activate stories, connect neighbors, and exercise collective imagination. She is the Creative Executive Officer (CEO) of Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) -- a nonprofit organizations that works at the intersection of creativity and civic life in rural communities. She is a member of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice Leadership Circle and she was an Artist-in-Residence in both the Planning Department at the City of Minneapolis and with the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, where she employed creative community engagement strategies for equitable participation in urban and rural planning and development processes. Previously, she was the Program Director for the Minnesota Theater Alliance—where she managed statewide regional networks and resource sharing—and the Program Director for Public Art Saint Paul—where she produced large-scale participatory public art events and projects, including the Saint Paul City Artist-in-Residence program. In addition to her work with DoPT, she is the founder of PlaceBase Productions, a theater company that creates original, site-specific musicals celebrating small-town life. She holds an MA in Applied Theater with a focus on Rural Community Development, and she was named an Obama Foundation Fellow and a Bush Fellow for her work with rural communities. She believes deeply in the power of play and exclamation points! To learn more about Department of Public Transformation visit www.publictransformation.org Notable MentionsDepartment of Public Transformation: We are an artist-led nonprofit organization that works to develop creative strategies for increased community connection, civic engagement, and equitable participation in rural places. We believe in the power of rural creativity in activating solutions to address community challenges.PlaceBase Productions: Some of America's most inspiring stories are nestled in the communities of rural towns. PlaceBase Productions is using community theatre to bring these stories to life—and shift the narrative about what it means to live and work outside of big cities.Ignite Rural: Ignite Rural is an “at-home” artist residency operated by the Department of Public Transformation focused on uplifting and supporting emerging rural artists that engage in social/civic work. To be considered for the Ignite Rural program, artists must reside in rural communities with a population of 20,000 or less within the colonial state borders of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the 23 Native Nations that share that geography with priority given to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and Native artists and culture bearers.Partnership Art. In 2015, SWMHP was one of six organizations that received funding...

Born and raised in Mexico City Jose Antonio Aguirre has become internationally recognized for his venetian glass mosaic, and carved limestone murals many of which explore the people, places, and stories he has encountered as an artist who exists in two cultures bound by the Mexican and American bi-national spaces he has occupied for four decades. The Journey of Jose Antonio AguirreIn this episode of 'Change the Story, Change the World' we explore the life and works of Jose Antonio Aguirre, a Mexican-American artist renowned for his public art in the forms of murals and mosaics. Born in Mexico City and eventually making his way to the United States, Aguirre's multifaceted career spans roles as a muralist, teacher, journalist, and cultural ambassador. His work, deeply influenced by his bi-national experience, celebrates cultural heritage and challenges viewers to consider social issues and their own identities. Notably, Aguirre collaborated with significant cultural and community institutions such as Self Help Graphics and Art in East Los Angeles and participated in the creation of the Cesar Chavez Memorial. His journey underscores the power of art in community building, heritage preservation, and social commentary, all while navigating the complexities of his adventurous life in the U.S.00:00 Welcome to Change the Story, Change the World00:12 Journey to Knowledge: The Power of Public Art01:30 Jose Antonio Aguirre: A Life in Art and Cultural Diplomacy04:10 The Chicano Art Movement and Self Help Graphics08:39 A Serendipitous Journey from Music to Muralism20:57 From Chicago to California: A New Chapter in Art31:49 The Evolution and Impact of the Mural Movement41:10 Closing Thoughts: The Role of Art in SocietyBioAs a visual artist, I am dedicated to nurturing the development and production of an ongoing body of art that utilizes a variety of traditional mediums, materials, and techniques in combination with an experimental approach to contemporary technology and social issues. I seek to explore the application of space within an installation, painting, print or public environment that invites the interaction of the viewer with the elements of the composition; the spectator is to be engaged as an active participant and not a passive observer. The nature of my art is dependent upon the exploration and exportation of images, icons, symbols, and signs that have been contained within the continuity of creative expression in Mexican art from 3000 years ago until today. The essence of my iconography is traced from my personal pre-Columbian roots and it's mixing with religious symbols of Spanish colonization, and compounded by the contradictory reality of “modernism” in Mexico and the United States. The content is inspired by the duality of history and social experience; the color palette inspired by the richness of the folk artists hand and the local regions natural landscapes. Reflecting upon my place of origin (Mexico) and its impact on the recent history of my experience in the United States, I probe the aesthetics of an artist that exists in two cultures bound by bi-national implications. I create a visual imagery that provokes definitions and questions that attempt to integrate the tentative everyday experience of human nature and its social implications with the cultural diversity of living on the border of two worlds that exist in the time of expanding globalization.

In this episode we will hear why Ken Grossinger believes that "organizers can't work effectively without culture, and that art is essential to creating the narrative shifts that make effective organizing possible. In our conversation we explore his new book , ART WORKS: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together. BIOKen Grossinger, has been a leading strategist in movements for social and economic justice for thirty-five years, in unions, philanthropic and community organizations.For two decades, Ken was one of the labor movement's leading strategists. He represented workers in the Service Employees International Union and then directed legislative field operations for the AFL-CIO, running large-scale issue campaigns including against the privatization of Social Security and for health care reform, economic and civil rights. Grossinger is widely regarded as an expert in pioneering national field strategies for labor and community organizations and is well known for building long-enduring alliances between the two.Formerly a community organizer, Grossinger co-launched the Human SERVE Fund, a national advocate organization that initiated and led the successful decade-long fight for passage of the National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as Motor Voter.Grossinger is active on several boards including the University of the District of Columbia (Trustee), Hirshhorn Museum (Trustee), People's Action Institute (Director), Skylight Pictures (Director), and the CrossCurrents Foundation, (Chair).Among other cultural projects, he co-executive produced the award-winning Netflix documentaries Social Dilemma and Bleeding Edge and served as Executive Producer of Boycott and the forthcoming film Borderland.Ken is the author of ART WORKS: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together, published by the New Press in July 2023. He lives part-time in Washington, DC., and Telluride, Colorado.How Are Artists & Organizers Creating a Better World Together?In this episode of 'Change the Story / Change the World,' host Bill Cleveland interviews Ken Grossinger, a labor movement strategist turned advocate for the significant role of arts in social and economic justice. Grosinger discusses his journey from traditional labor organizing to recognizing the vital contribution of arts to narrative shifts needed for effective change. Highlighted is his book, 'ART WORKS: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together,' which underscores the power of collaborations between artists and organizers. The dialogue explores various case studies and personal anecdotes that demonstrate the intersection of art, activism, and community building, including impactful art-centric social movements, the strategic use of power analysis in organizing, and the role of museums and artists in fostering social change. Special attention is given to the unique capacity of music and art to drive narrative transformations and mobilize communities against injustice.00:00 Introduction to Change the Story / Change the World00:08 Ken Grosinger: From Labor Strategist to Arts Advocate01:09 The Power of Art in Social Change03:20 The Strategic Mind of a Social Change Leader08:01 Art and Organizing: A Synergistic Approach11:36 Exploring the Impact of Art and...

"I think unless we embody sensibilities, we connect the head, the heart and the body. We don't have a complete range of experience and expression are limited in what we think, feel and see, and so I have integrated the body into everything I've done. Judith MarcuseJudith Marcuse is one of Canada's senior artist/producers with a career that spans over 40 years of professional work as a dancer, choreographer, director, producer, teacher, writer and lecturer in Canada and abroad. She has created over 100 original works for live performance by dance, theatre and opera companies; many projects for film and television; and has produced seven large-scale arts festivals. Her repertory contemporary dance company toured nationally and internationally for more than 15 years, while also creating innovative community and youth programs.A pioneer in the field of arts for social change, her work is internationally-recognized. The youth-centred, issue-based ICE, FIRE and EARTH projects, each five years long, included workshops, live touring and film productions, and extensive community outreach work. In 2006, Judith Marcuse produced EARTH: The World Urban Festival during the U.N.'s World Urban Forum, hosting performances and exhibitions of socially-engaged artists from around the world and audiences of some 20,000 people.Marcuse teaches and presents in university and other settings in Canada and abroad. She has received many honours, including Canada's two major choreographic awards, the Chalmers and the Clifford E. Lee, and an honourary doctorate from Simon Fraser University.Judith Marcuse Dancing Towards Change: Art, Activism, and Social Transformation--------- EPISODE SUMMARY ---------“My earliest memories of dancing are intertwined with feelings of freedom and expression.”, a sentiment echoed by our esteemed guest, Judith Marcuse. As a pioneer in fusing art with social activism, Judith takes us on a captivating journey through her life, illustrating how the union of head, heart, and body can drive societal transformation. This episode sweeps across the vibrant dance scene of 1960s London, where Judith began her creative quest, and ventures into her profound work engaging communities through collective creativity. Her rich narrative serves as a testament to the influential role physical expression plays in advocacy and change, inspiring listeners to consider how their own passions might fuel meaningful action.Navigating the complexities of societal oppression and censorship, Judith opens up about her experiences touring globally and the innovative ways she's fostered dialogue and collaboration. She recounts captivating stories of running a dance company as a collective, highlighting the importance of safe spaces for conversation, especially when addressing life's most pressing challenges with the youth. This episode shares nsights into building partnerships that transcend cultural divides, using nonverbal communication to foster understanding, and the vital role of communal efforts in combating loneliness and igniting change.Rounding out our discussion, the transformative power of art in global collaborations takes center stage. Judith's experiences in Pakistan and South Africa, among other places, reveal art's profound impact on community change and personal growth. She shares the inspirational encounters that have shaped her perspective, stressing the importance of humility, active listening, and embracing diversity. The episode culminates with a look at the Tar Sands Songbook project and the International Center of Art for Social Change, championing the powerful potential of creativity when harnessed for the greater good.HIGHLIGHTS ---------0:03:03 - Life's Work (95 Seconds)0:09:56 - Artists Creating Change Through Collaboration (88 Seconds)0:18:06 - Youth-Led Initiatives on Tough Topics (102...

Animating DemocracyCan the Arts Save Democracy? This episode explores how creative practices can reinvigorate American democracy by bridging societal divides. Featuring insights from Pam Korza and Barbara Schaefer Bacon, we delve into how Animating Democracy has supported arts-based civic dialogue and collective action in communities across the country. We highlight impactful projects such as Traces of the Trade, it underscores the transformative potential of engaging critical and often divisive community issues through the arts. This is a call to action for using creativity to address and heal deep-seated social issues.00:00 Introduction: American Democracy01:16 The Role of Art in Democracy03:24 Animating Democracy: An Arts Organization04:12 Exploring Belchertown and Personal Histories09:22 The Power of Community-Based Arts17:53 Iconic Projects: AIDS Memorial Quilt and Vagina Monologues22:08 The Laramie Project and Scaling Up25:20 Animating Democracy: Practical Implementation38:33 Traces of the Trade: A Risky but Impactful Project49:09 Conclusion and Call to ActionBIO'sPam Korza co-directs Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts that inspires, informs, promotes, and connects arts and culture as potent contributors to community, civic, and social change. She is a co-author and editor of Aesthetic Perspectives: Attributes of Excellence in Arts for Change. She co-wrote Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture, and the Arts & Civic Engagement Tool Kit and co-edited Critical Perspectives: Writings on Art & Civic Dialogue, as well as the five-book Case Studies from Animating Democracy. Pam is co-chair of the Assessing Practices in Public Scholarship research group for Imagining America (IA), a consortium of colleges and universities that advances public scholarship in the humanities, arts, and design and was a two-term member of IA's National Advisory Board. She began her career with the Arts Extension Service (AES)/UMass where she coordinated the National Public Art Policy Project and co-wrote and edited Going Public: A field guide to developments in art in public places. She also directed the New England Film & Video Festival.Barbara Schaffer Bacon's career launched in 1977 at the UMASS Arts Extension Service, a national leader in professional education for local arts managers, artists and civic leaders. Barbara served as director from 1984-90. She led Fundamentals and Advanced Local Arts Management seminars and contributed to the Fundamentals of Local Arts Management text book and The Cultural Planning Work Kit. In 1996 with Pam Korza, Barbara took a lead role to conduct research for and shape Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts. Animating Democracy shone an early and bright national light on arts and civic dialogue, built knowledge about quality practice, and created useful resources including Animating Democracy: The Artistic Imagination as a Force for Civic Dialogue; Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture: Findings from Animating Democracy; Continuum Of Arts Impact: A Guide for Defining Social & Civic Outcomes & Indicators; Aesthetic Perspectives: Attributes of Excellence in Arts for Change; and Trend or Tipping Point: Arts & Social Change Grantmaking. In 2022 Barbara stepped back from Animating Democracy leadership. She currently serves as a program consultant for the

In this episode we continue our conversation with Barbara Schaffer Bacon and Pam Korza, co-directors of Animating Democracy. The discussion centers on the role of arts in fostering civic dialogue and community engagement, particularly around challenging social issues. We explore several case studies of arts-based community projects, including:1. The restoration of a King Kamehameha statue in Hawaii, which became a catalyst for broader community dialogue.2. The Shipyard Project in Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.3. A community dialogue project in Lima, Ohio by Sojourn Theater.4. Controversial exhibits at the Henry Gallery, Jewish Museum, and Andy Warhol Museum dealing with genomics, the Holocaust, and the terrible legacy of lynching. The conversation highlights how these projects built trust, facilitated difficult conversations, and led to long-term community impacts. We also discuss the evolution of this field over the past decades, current trends, and future prospects for arts-based civic engagement.Key moments:1. Discussion of the King Kamehameha statue restoration (00:02:14)2. Reflection on the Portsmouth shipyard project (00:18:27)3. Explanation of the framework for assessing project outcomes (00:24:46)4. Description of controversial museum exhibits (00:32:40)5. Exploration of current trends and changes in the field (00:42:51)BIO'sPam Korza co-directs Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts that inspires, informs, promotes, and connects arts and culture as potent contributors to community, civic, and social change. She is a co-author and editor of Aesthetic Perspectives: Attributes of Excellence in Arts for Change. She co-wrote Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture, and the Arts & Civic Engagement Tool Kit and co-edited Critical Perspectives: Writings on Art & Civic Dialogue, as well as the five-book Case Studies from Animating Democracy. Pam is co-chair of the Assessing Practices in Public Scholarship research group for Imagining America (IA), a consortium of colleges and universities that advances public scholarship in the humanities, arts, and design and was a two-term member of IA's National Advisory Board. She began her career with the Arts Extension Service (AES)/UMass where she coordinated the National Public Art Policy Project and co-wrote and edited Going Public: A field guide to developments in art in public places. She also directed the New England Film & Video Festival.Barbara Schaffer Bacon's career launched in 1977 at the UMASS Arts Extension Service, a national leader in professional education for local arts managers, artists and civic leaders. Barbara served as director from 1984-90. She led Fundamentals and Advanced Local Arts Management seminars and contributed to the Fundamentals of Local Arts Management text book and The Cultural Planning Work Kit. In 1996 with Pam Korza, Barbara took a lead role to conduct research for and shape Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts. Animating Democracy shone an early and bright national light on arts and civic dialogue, built knowledge about quality practice, and created useful resources including Animating Democracy: The Artistic Imagination as a Force for Civic Dialogue; Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture: Findings from Animating...

Further Adventures of L. O. SloanIn this milestone 100th episode, Bill Cleveland engages in a deep, reflective, and often humorous conversation with his longtime friend and legendary activist, actor, dancer, playwright, impresario, and historian, Lenwood Sloan. The discussion spans many topics, including Sloan's incredible career in the arts, his reflections on social change, and the societal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The episode also touches on the roles of art and artists in activism and democracy, shining a spotlight on historical figures like Lydia Hamilton Smith and their untold contributions. The conversation serves as both a celebration of Sloan's legacy and a poignant commentary on current social issues.00:00 Introduction to the Episode00:33 A Rambling Conversation with Lenwood Sloan03:16 Reflections on Pain and Perseverance06:07 The Impact of COVID on Social Interactions08:06 The Power of Decision Making and Imagination18:43 Lydia Hamilton Smith: An Unsung Hero27:27 The Role of Art in Social Change31:52 Call to Action for Citizen ArtistsBIOFor the past 40 years, Lenwood Sloan has provided inspiration, leadership and technical assistance both in the public and private sector.On October 7, 2013, Mr. Sloan received the Distinguished Service Humanitarian award from Pennsylvania Humanities Council for his outstanding work in community organizing.He is currently an International Consultant collaborating with the U.S. Embassy in Brussels and the multi nation “Liberation Route” on a new international WWII heritage trail. He is creative consultant for the Cameron Museum of Wilmington, N. C. USCT project, collaborator on the innovative “Two Roads “ series for the Irish Cultural Center of New York, Throughout 2011 Sloan served as Pennsylvania's film commissioner and was certified by the Association of Film commissioners international (AFCI). In that capacity, he directed the 60 million dollar film tax credit office.From 2005 to 2011, Mr. Sloan served as director of Pennsylvania's Cultural and Heritage Tourism Program His portfolio included the Pa festival initiative, the Appalachian Regional Commission's 13 state geo- tourism initiative, the artisans' craft trails , the PA Civil War trails Lenwood Sloan has served as Director of the National Endowment for the Arts' Presenting and Commissioning program , Deputy Director of Services to the field for the California Arts Council , Director of New Orleans Arts and Tourism partnership . He is recipient of the Louisiana Travel and Tourism leadership award for business innovations, His artistic credits include creating “art in the market place” programs for the Rouse Corporation in New Orleans, St. Louis, Boston, and Baltimore. In addition, he participated on the artistic team for five national public television documentaries, Treme- Untold Story, Emmy award winning Ethnic Notions, Stephen Foster, the internationally acclaimed Re-imaging Ireland, and the Emmy award winning Dance Black America.For the past 40 years, Lenwood Sloan has provided inspiration, leadership and technical assistance both in the public and private sector. On October 7, 2013, Mr. Sloan received the Distinguished Service Humanitarian award from Pennsylvania Humanities Council for his outstanding work in community organizing. He is currently an International Consultant collaborating with the U.S. Embassy in Brussels and the multi nation “Liberation Route” on a new international WWII heritage trail. He is creative consultant for the Cameron Museum of Wilmington, N. C. USCT project, collaborator on the innovative “Two Roads “ series for the Irish Cultural Center of New York, Throughout 2011 Sloan served as Pennsylvania's film commissioner and was certified by the Association of Film commissioners international (AFCI). In that capacity, he...

Join Bill Cleveland in a special bonus episode as we explore the incredible 50-year journey of Alternate Roots, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to social and economic justice. Featuring insightful conversations with Roots staffers Amy McCoy and Clarissa Crawford, this episode delves into the diverse contributions of artists in tackling community issues, the importance of membership, and the upcoming 2024 Roots Week. Don't miss this in-depth look at one of America's most influential arts organizations and their vibrant community impact.00:00 Introduction to Change the Story, Change the World00:10 The Longevity of Nonprofits and Alternate Roots00:56 Mission and Impact of Alternate Roots02:04 Celebrating 50 Years of Alternate Roots03:00 Roots Week 2024: Southern Soil Sankofa Seeds03:19 Meet the Guests: Amy McCoy and Clarissa Crawford05:14 The Role of Membership at Alternate Roots09:30 Roots Members as Change Agents12:58 Roots Week: A Gathering of Creativity and Community18:59 Exploring Power and Agency at Roots24:11 Challenges and Growth in Membership33:11 Looking Forward: Hopes for Roots Week

Join us in a deep dive into the transformative power of art and conflict resolution with Cynthia Cohen. From powerful personal stories to groundbreaking projects, this episode is a testament to the power of creative peacebuilding.In this episode we explore artmaking and peacemaking as mutually supporting, synergistic community assets. Our conversation, with activist, writer, educator, and filmmaker Cynthia Cohen delves into her extensive career in arts, culture, and conflict transformation, highlighting her collaborative projects like 'Acting Together' and 'A Passion for Life.' Various global artistic and peace-building efforts are examined for their impact on communities. Throughout, themes of creative engagement, humility, ethical practices, and the critical role of storytelling in peacebuilding are intricately explored.00:00 Introduction and Tribute to Bernice Johnson Reagon00:38 Creative Peace Builders: Voices from Around the World05:40 Cynthia Cohen's Work and Philosophy08:55 A Passion for Life: Personal and Professional Journey13:42 Challenges and Ethical Dilemmas in Peacebuilding15:39 The Role of Arts in Conflict Transformation22:11 Act Two: How Does Peacebuilding Work?37:45 Community Responsibility and Indigenous Involvement38:20 The Influence of Cultural Workers39:40 Mentorship and Personal Growth40:02 Artists as Community Members41:15 Core Principles for Community Impact43:13 Challenges in Human Communication50:20 The Role of Arts in Conflict Transformation53:48 Personal Reflections and Influences57:28 The Power of Storytelling and Listening01:07:48 Concluding Thoughts and RecommendationsAs director of the program in Peacebuilding and the Arts, Cynthia Cohen lead action and reflection research projects, and wrote and taught about work at the nexus of the arts, culture, justice and peace.BIOCynthia Cohen directed the Brandeis University/Theatre Without Borders collaboration "Acting Together on the World Stage," co-edited the Acting Together anthologies and co-created the project's documentary and toolkit. She is a senior fellow at IMPACT, Inc. [https://impactart.org] a global nonprofit organization responsible for the dissemination of Acting Together resources. Cohen has written extensively on the aesthetic and ethical dimensions of peacebuilding, including the chapters "Creative Approaches to Reconciliation" and "Engaging With the Arts to Promote Coexistence" and an online book, "Working With Integrity: A Guidebook for Peacebuilders Asking Ethical Questions."Prior to the Acting Together project, Cohen directed the international fellowship program Recasting Reconciliation Through Culture and the Arts, which produced an anthology by that name. In addition, Cohen has worked as a dialogue facilitator with communities in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Central America and the United States. Before her tenure at Brandeis, she directed a community-based, anti-racist oral history center in the Boston area. Acknowledgements:The audio clips that open the episode are come from the Trailer for the documentary film Acting Together on the World Stage co-created by Cynthia Cohen and Allison Lund of Progressive Pictures.

When I describe BIGhART to folks in the US they accuse me of making it up. In this episode re-broadcast Scott Rankin, BIGhART's founder, describes how this expansive, constantly morphing, multi-disciplinary, thirty-year long enterprise became one of the world's leading arts and social change organizations.This is first of two episodes featuring Scott. You can listen to Chapter 2 HEREBIOScott co-founded Big hART with friend John Bakes in 1992. As CEO and Creative Director, Scott leads the overarching vision for all Big hART projects – from pilot through to legacy. A leader and teacher in the field of social and cultural innovation, Scott provides daily mentorship and knowledge transfer to all Big hART staff so that they can in turn lead our projects with confidence.An award winning writer and director in his own right, Scott's works have been included many times in major arts festivals. His reputation is built on a quarter of a century of work, creating, funding and directing large-scale projects in diverse communities with high needs, in isolated settings.Big hART is Scott's passionate contribution to the arts and society.Notable MentionsBIGhART: Authentic, high-quality art made with communities.Big hART brings virtuosic artists into communities to collaborate and create authentic stories which illuminate local injustice. We present these stories to mainstream audiences to help raise awareness. This builds public support for change and helps to protect vulnerable people.Everyone, everywhere has the right to thrive.Big hART works with communities experiencing high levels of need. Rather than focusing on the problem, our unique non-welfare projects build on community assets, strengthening vulnerable individuals, and creating long term attitudinal shifts. Our hope is for all communities to flourish.Positive, generational change begins as a cultural shift.Big hART designs and delivers transformative projects to address complex social issues. Our cultural approaches are evaluated and acknowledged as best practice. Decision makers seeking better solutions can use our award winning projects to help develop new and better policy. We aim to drive generational change.Ngapartji Ngapartji: Big hART designed the Ngapartji Ngapartji project to raise awareness of Indigenous language loss, and the lack of an national Indigenous languages policy. In order to create visibility around these issues, we launched a language and culture teaching portal, offered audiences the chance to learn Pitjantjatjara through a small teaching show, created short teaching films, as well as music and CDs with a Pitjantjatjara choir. We made a high profile documentary, and finally, a large award winning touring show for national festivals. By creating this range of art products, we attracted exceptional media and gained high level political interest in the issue. This assisted in driving a new Indigenous language policy and increased funding to help prevent language loss.Trevor Jamieson is a veteran of stage and screen with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, and a long time creative partner with BIGhART. He is known as an Actor, Dancer, Musician and Storyteller and his portrait, taken by Brett Canet-Gibson, took out the People's Choice award for the 2017 National Portrait gallery exhibition in Canberra.Trevor is not only an accomplished actor but is also known for...

This is the second episode of a two part show we are rebroadcasting called BIGhART, BIGsTORY which tell the saga of a creative synergistic Australian force of nature called, of course BIGhART. BIGhART is Australia's leading arts and social change organization.We make art, we build communities, we drive change. 30 years in operation, 62 communities engaged, 47 awards won, 550 artists contributed, 9, 500 people participated, 2. 6 million audience members. BIOScott Rankin co-founded Big hART with friend John Bakes in 1992. As CEO and Creative Director, Scott leads the overarching vision for all Big hART projects – from pilot through to legacy. A leader and teacher in the field of social and cultural innovation, Scott provides daily mentorship and knowledge transfer to all Big hART staff so that they can in turn lead our projects with confidence.An award winning writer and director in his own right, Scott's works have been included many times in major arts festivals. His reputation is built on a quarter of a century of work, creating, funding and directing large-scale projects in diverse communities with high needs, in isolated settings.Big hART is Scott's passionate contribution to the arts and society.Notable Mentions: BIGhART: Ngapartji Ngapartji: Big hART designed the Ngapartji Ngapartji project to raise awareness of Indigenous language loss, and the lack of an national Indigenous languages policy. Tasmania is an island state of Australia.[15] It is located 240 kilometres (150 miles) to the south of the Australian mainland, separated from it by the Bass Strait, with the archipelago containing the southernmost point of the country.Vaslav Nijinsky was a Russian[4] ballet dancer and choreographer of Polish ancestry.[5] He is regarded as the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century.[3]

Dr. Banerji: In this episode of 'Change the Story, Change the World,' Bill Cleveland explores the inspiring journey of Dr. Subhasis Banerji, a bioengineer from Singapore. Dr. Banerji shares how he utilized the interplay between art, science, and the human mind to help brain-injured and stroke patients recover. After suffering severe injuries himself, Dr. Banerji's personal tale of recovery through a combination of physical therapy, yoga, and martial arts led him to develop SynPhne—a groundbreaking therapeutic device integrating real-time brain and muscle feedback for accelerated healing. The discussion also parallels the transformative power of creative practices in prison arts programs, highlighting the human capacity for self-recovery and growth. This episode sheds light on the significant overlap between artistic creativity and medical innovation, offering profound insights into the potential of the mind-body connection. 00:00 Introduction to Change the Story, Change the World 00:46 Meeting Dr. Banerji 02:36 From Ignorance to Wisdom 04:54 The Journey of Self-Healing 08:31 Creating Synphne 11:02 A Moment to Remember 19:30 Common Ground 24:51 Final Thoughts and AcknowledgementsBIO Dr. Subhasis Banerji: Founder, Inventor Director of SynPhNe. Subhasis has over 20 years of experience in developing cutting-edge technology, 5 years of practicing therapy and10 years in clinical research. His diverse background led him to invent and commercialize the world's first fully wearable and connected brain plasticity training tool that trains Brain and Body as parts of ONE system. SynPhNe™ is the outcome of his PhD (Biomechatronics) study. He is involved in research in biomechanics, neuroplasticity, movement analysis, learning mechanisms and ageing. He has been a yoga and martial arts practitioner for the past 25 years.Notable MentionsAfter four years of study, collaborative research, prototype building and testing Dr. Banerji and his partners at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University ultimately produced the therapy that he described to me when we met in Washington D.C.Put simply, SynPhNe accelerates Dr. Banerji's painstaking visioning and learning process by reading brain and muscle signals, representing them graphically, and then teaching the patient how to self-correct the signals through their thought processes.The early 1980's was a building period for the Arts-in-Corrections program. At each of our six pilot sites we had been scrambling to secure the spaces we needed to establish the stable and sustained learning environments that we knew would have the most positive and persistent impact on the prisoners who were flocking to the program. Our guide, so to speak in this was the visionary poet and potter M. C. Richards who, in her book, Centering, articulated the transformative power embodied in the simple act of throwing a pot on a spinning wheel.These breakthroughs, the state Psychologist

How do you describe a Laurie Meadoff? Start off with a big heart, add a piercing intellect, an insatiable curiosity, and a gargantuan exploding fireworks extravaganza of an imagination. Then add that she's a can't-sit-still, serial do-gooder problem solver who translates the word "NO" in any language, as the starting gun for the next story in the million chapter book she's been living, entitled There's no Such Thing as an Impossible Dream!In this episode of 'Change the Story, Change the World,' host Bill Cleveland introduces Laurie Meadoff, a transformative entrepreneurial force in community arts, youth development, and social change. Laurie reflects on her life's work, including founding the internationally recognized CityKids Foundation, producing Emmy-nominated series, and engaging in art-based change initiatives across the globe. The conversation explores her unique approach to social justice, cultural democracy, and health equity through creative endeavors. Meadoff shares stories of impactful moments, like connecting youth worldwide and encouraging new generations to channel their creativity for activism, ultimately underlining the importance of listening, community empowerment, and sustained social impact.00:00 Meet Laurie Meadoff: A Force of Nature03:59 Laurie's Journey and Impact06:16 Community Empowerment and Creativity08:42 The Power of Listening and Adaptability09:55 Art and Social Justice11:00 Personal Reflections and Global Impact18:25 Lean on Me: A Musical Interlude22:05 Chat the Planet: Bridging Global Youth28:53 Keith Haring's Legacy and City Kids30:11 Artivism in Chicago31:44 Take Back the Mic Africa35:16 The Role of Artists in Society39:06 Innovations in Health and Artivism41:02 The Power of Observation and Witness42:15 What You Going to Do About Hate?48:52 Reflections and Future Aspirations51:41 Closing Remarks and ResourcesBIOLaurie Meadoff is a leader, an innovator, and a change maker. Through artistic and expert use of her wide array of talents, Laurie has been able to make monumental strides toward a more tolerant and compassionate world through her media and community engagement strategies. Internationally acclaimed for her more than forty-five years of work and accomplishments, Laurie Inc. & Team's current clients list include:Take Back The Media /Amp.it, a digital media platform that helps content owners know ‘Who's Watching and Why'. Creator of double Emmy nominated "Take Back the Mic: Africa”. We are now building a state of the art film and television studio in Africa.Geoversity, Nature's University in Panama, focusing on biocultural and indigenous leadership and environmental action.The UN Global Mental Health Task Force, alongside The CityKids Foundation, Deepak Chopra's Chopra Foundation and Social Architects. We are committed to a world where mental health is universally recognized as a fundamental human right.Bodimetrics - the newest technology, addressing healthcare inequities by offering continuous blood oxygen and pressure with FDA-cleared medical devices.Rozana Health Diplomacy, an international organization promoting access to quality healthcare in Palestine and Israel, through joint initiatives between communities in conflict. Laurie is committed to moving disruptive groundbreaking companies forward while networking with her social impact investors. Laurie has always had her pulse on youth culture. Laurie launched Authentik Inc. with partners Tony Krantz, Derrick Ashong and Siobhan Kavanagh. Authentik Inc is an innovation firm based out of NY and LA. Authentik Inc helps top brands stay culturally and socially...

Given the differences in power, and definitions of success, how can arts and change collaborations between institutions of higher learning and their local communities be equitable and accountable? And how can change oriented artists practice effectively and ethically with a foot in each camp? Billy Yalowitz has had a career as a theater director and choreographer that I think provides provocative answers to both questions and more.This podcast features a rich conversation between Bill Cleveland and Billy Yalowitz, focusing on the intersection of community arts and social justice. At the heart of their discussion is the importance of facilitating equitable collaborations between artists and their communities, particularly in the context of higher education. Yalowitz shares insights from his diverse career as a theater director and choreographer, emphasizing the necessity of understanding one's own heritage and community narratives before engaging with others. The dialogue also explores the significance of storytelling as a means of empowerment and healing, particularly in marginalized communities. Ultimately, the episode highlights the transformative power of art in bridging divides and fostering mutual understanding across different cultural backgrounds.A key highlight of the episode is the Black Bottom Performance Project, where Yalowitz worked to amplify the voices of a community displaced by urban renewal. This project not only sought to reclaim lost stories but also fostered a sense of belonging among participants. Yalowitz emphasizes the importance of creating spaces for collective memory and narrative sharing, illustrating how art can bridge divides and facilitate healing. The project serves as a testament to the potential of community arts to address historical injustices and promote social cohesion, prompting listeners to consider the power of storytelling in their own lives.As the episode progresses, the discussion evolves into pressing contemporary issues, particularly climate justice and the disconnection from land that many communities experience. Yalowitz shares his ongoing work in the Hudson Valley, where he seeks to reconnect with his cultural roots while collaborating with indigenous peoples. This aspect of the conversation underscores the interconnectedness of social justice and environmental stewardship.Key Moments03:47 The Keys to the Kingdom: Billy's Building Project05:29 Exploring Identity and Community08:48 Golden's Bridge: A Cultural Sanctuary15:22 The Tradition of Community Arts21:40 The Legacy of Folk and Modern Dance26:05 The Black Bottom Performance Project27:23 Community Stories and Reparations32:15 Migrations and Hyphenations: An Israeli/Palestinian Sago36:25 The Birth Narrative and Twin, Twin Transfusion Syndrome41:54 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Rehearsal47:06 Land Amnesia and Climate Justice51:40 Reflections and InspirationsBIOBilly Yalowitz is a writer, director and community arts practitioner whose writings and interdisciplinary performance works draw from public history and chronicle grassroots movements for self-determination.Yalowitz's interdisciplinary performance works have been presented off-Broadway and internationally. He has directed critically acclaimed and nationally profiled community-based performance-installations in Philadelphia neighborhoods since 1991. Yalowitz has been named “Best Unclassifiable Theater Artist” by Philadelphia's City Paper, Best Choreographer by the Philadelphia Inquirer, and was nominated for a Barrymore Award for his work at People's Light & Theater Company. He was commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art to create a performance-festival, The Fathering Circle.Yalowitz's work has been featured in the New York Times

An extraordinary dramatic recreation of an interview with legendary actress, director, educator and anti-racism activist Rebecca Rice. Rebecca Rice, who passed in 2002, was a pioneering community artist, transformed her personal experiences into a powerful advocacy for marginalized voices through art. Her journey began in a challenging neighborhood in Chicago, where she discovered her passion for performance and community engagement. This podcast explores her belief that every individual, regardless of their visibility, contributes to the intricate tapestry of human existence. Throughout her career, Rice emphasized the importance of creative collaboration, using theater as a means to address social issues such as domestic violence and racial justice. As she reflects on her work, listeners are invited to consider the profound impact of art in fostering understanding and change within communities.Rebecca Rice's profound journey as a community artist is explored through her reflections on art's power to transform lives, especially within marginalized communities. She perceives herself as an 'artist communicator,' emphasizing the importance of every individual's story in shaping the broader human experience. Through her work, she sought to give voice to those often overlooked—prisoners, youth, and the disabled—highlighting the reciprocal nature of her partnerships where the shared experiences of both artist and collaborators create a deeper understanding and artistic expression. This rich dialogue not only honors Rebecca's legacy but also underscores the relevance of her insights on community arts and racial justice in today's societal landscape.The episode also delves into Rebecca's early influences and formative experiences that shaped her artistic philosophy. Growing up in a challenging environment on Chicago's West Side, she was introduced to community arts through Johnny Houston's Newer Still program, which instilled in her a sense of capability and belonging. This program acted as a catalyst for her development as an artist, fostering her talent while teaching her the importance of dedication, hard work, and the value of creative expression irrespective of societal limitations. As Rebecca transitioned into the realm of political street theater and later into her tenure at Living Stage Theater, she began to intertwine her artistic endeavors with social activism, using theater as a vehicle for change and a platform for the stories of the oppressed. This evolution highlights the dynamic interplay between art and activism, showcasing how Rebecca's work was not just about performance but about empowering individuals and communities through creativity.Moreover, the discussion touches on the concept of 'creative trust' and how it serves as a foundation for successful artistic collaboration, especially within vulnerable populations. Rebecca articulates the necessity of creating a safe space where individuals can explore their creativity without the fear of judgment. This sanctuary-like environment allows participants to confront their internalized negativity and engage with their artistic voices authentically. The conversation also critiques the superficiality of multiculturalism in arts funding, advocating for deeper, more genuine engagement with communities rather than tokenistic approaches. Rebecca's insights push for a re-examination of the roles artists play within their communities, advocating for a shift in focus from individual acclaim to collective empowerment, ultimately striving to make art a fundamental and essential aspect of societal healing and growth.Key Moments02:56 The Impact of Community Arts04:37 Rebecca's Journey Begins07:48 Finding Voice Through Art11:14 The Living Stage Experience24:48 Art and Domestic Violence Advocacy33:29 Multiculturalism and Community...

Explore creative community transformation with teaching artist Jeff Mather as he shares stories of art, collaboration, and social change in education.Jeff Mather's work as a teaching artist and public art digital storytelling alchemist underscores the vital role of art in fostering community resilience and engagement. The conversation with Bill Cleveland reveals how, despite the challenges posed by recent global events, Mather remains optimistic about the transformative potential of creative collaborations. By reflecting on his experiences in various educational and community settings, he illustrates how art can bridge divides, empower youth, and reinvigorate spaces that have been overlooked or abandoned. His dedication to involving students in the artistic process not only cultivates their creativity but also instills a sense of agency and responsibility for their environment.The episode captures the essence of Mather's philosophy: art is not merely an aesthetic endeavor but a powerful tool for social change. Mather recounts the impactful project in West Baltimore, where he worked with local youth to design and install an environmental sculpture in a park that had long been neglected. This initiative not only beautified the area but also engaged the community in a dialogue about safety, ownership, and the importance of reclaiming shared spaces. Mather's insights into the dynamics of teaching and collaboration highlight the necessity of recognizing and valuing each participant's unique contributions, which ultimately enriches the artistic outcome.Furthermore, the discussion delves into the challenges and rewards of community-based art practices, particularly in relation to trust-building and navigating complex social landscapes. Mather emphasizes the importance of entering communities with humility and a willingness to learn, rather than imposing external solutions. His experiences with Alternate Roots showcase the power of grassroots movements in advocating for social and economic justice through art. As the episode unfolds, it becomes evident that Mather's work embodies a vision of art as a communal endeavor—one that celebrates diversity, fosters connection, and cultivates a shared sense of purpose in navigating the challenges of our times.Key Moments00:18 The Turning Point: Reflections on Change and Future Challenges00:35 Reflections on Creative Change Agents13:59 Alternate ROOTS and Community Engagement22:55 The Impact of Community Engagement in Public Art31:14 Engaging with Community Through Art40:03 The Impact of Art and CommunityBIOJeff is a community-based public artist and teaching artist in Georgia, (and South Carolina and Massachusetts and Utah), for over 30 years. He is the STEAM artist-in-residence at Drew Charter School 45 days each semester/90 days each year and has presented on his partnership work there at national and international conferences. He was a delegate and presenter at the 1st International Teaching Artist Conference in Olso in 2012 and at the ITAC3 in Edinburgh and at ITAC6 in Oslo. He is an ITAC Innovator, leading Think Tank webinars. He has been on the Georgia Council for the Arts registry of visiting artists since 1992. He has a BA degree in Proxemics from Hobart College. He served as president of the Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning, an arts infusion non-profit that he helped to co-found in 2001. He toured a program for nine years with a choreographer - and also a storytelling program with a master storyteller. Jeff has facilitated Learning Exchanges for teaching artists for Alternate ROOTS and for the Community Built Association. Jeff is also the lead artist for the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Access Program in northern Utah and runs interdisciplinary residencies there twice a year. He directed several experimental theater productions at the Center for

DEMOCRACY is a practice that we haven't been practicing. The gap between the story we've been telling ourselves about our participatory democracy and our actual experience leaves us unprepared for the Resistance and Reclamation project that we're about to undertake. To get better at Democracy, we need to treat it as a creative practice!This is the first of two episodes that explore the intricate relationship between art and democracy. This episode delves into the idea that democracy is not merely a system of voting, but a dynamic practice that requires active participation and creativity from its citizens. In his conversation with past guests, Bill Cleveland posits that our understanding of democracy is flawed, as too many citizens view it solely as a transactional process rather than a communal endeavor. Through insights gathered from creative change agents who have engaged deeply with the intersections of art and democratic practices, the episode illustrates how creative expression can act as a catalyst for civic engagement. The narrative reveals a pressing concern about the current state of American democracy, where apathy and division threaten the very fabric of communal life. Cleveland advocates for a renewed commitment to practicing democracy as a form of art, where citizens actively contribute to shaping their society, thereby enriching not only their own lives but also the collective experience of democracy itself.Takeaways: Democracy is a practice that requires active participation, not just voting in elections. The fragility of American democracy stems from a lack of understanding of its true nature. Creative practices in democracy can help bridge divides and foster community engagement. Sharing personal stories can play a crucial role in understanding and practicing democracy. The connection between art and democracy emphasizes the importance of collective storytelling. Democracy thrives when citizens engage in meaningful dialogues and collaborative efforts together. Chapters:00:11 - A New Direction in Storytelling00:41 - Democracy as a Creative Practice09:33 - The Role of Stories in Democracy16:18 - The Legacy of Lydia Hamilton Smith22:30 - Animating Democracy: The Role of Arts in Community Engagement25:47 - The Power of Creative Engagement in Social Issues32:29 - The Role of Arts in Cultural Democracy37:08 - The Role of the Culture Bearer46:31 - The Connection Between Civic Engagement and Creative Practice47:52 - The Impact of Citizenship Schools on DemocracyNotable MentionsIndividuals:Bill Cleveland – Center for the Study of Art and CommunityLeni Sloan – Leni Sloan bioPam Korza – Animating DemocracyBarbara Schaefer Bacon – Animating DemocracyHarry Boyte – Humphrey InstituteCarlton Turner – Mississippi Center for Cultural ProductionLori Poirier –

Episode SummaryIn this second of two episodes exploring democracy as a creative practice Bill Cleveland leads a rich discussion with theater workers Arnaldo Lopez, Ben Fink, and Scott Rankin, and labor organizer Ken Grossinger, who share how artistic endeavors can bridge differences, foster justice, and inspire community engagement. The conversation delves into the transformative power of storytelling and the role of cultural democracy in redefining citizenship and identity. As the guests recount their experiences, they highlight the importance of trust and cooperation in collaborative projects that address social issues. Ultimately, this episode underscores the vital relationship between art and democracy, encouraging listeners to consider how creative practices can drive meaningful change in society.Key Moments00:11 - Exploring Democracy as a Creative Practice01:08 - Exploring Art and Democracy16:20 - The Role of Art in Organizing28:05 - The Power of Cultural Change33:01 - The Flow of Change and LearningThe StoryThe exploration of democracy as a creative practice takes center stage in this engaging podcast episode led by Bill Cleveland. The conversation invites listeners to consider the intricate relationship between art and democratic engagement, showcasing how creative expression can serve as a powerful tool for fostering community, dialogue, and social change. Throughout the episode, Cleveland draws on insights from a diverse range of guests—artists, theater practitioners, and labor organizers—who share their personal experiences and the transformative impact of art in their respective fields. This multifaceted dialogue not only highlights the challenges faced by contemporary democracies but also illuminates the potential for creative practices to bridge divides and cultivate understanding among disparate communities.Guests such as Arnaldo Lopez and Ken Grossinger articulate the importance of storytelling in reclaiming democratic spaces and asserting the narratives of marginalized groups. Their contributions underscore the essential role that art plays in illuminating social injustices and inspiring collective action. The podcast does not shy away from addressing the complexities of cultural democracy, emphasizing the necessity for inclusive practices that honor and celebrate cultural differences. Cleveland thoughtfully weaves these narratives together, painting a rich tapestry of insights that challenge listeners to reflect on their own roles within the democratic process.As the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that the journey towards a creative democracy is ongoing and requires active participation from all individuals. The discussions culminate in a compelling call to action, urging listeners to embrace their creative potential and engage in the collaborative efforts necessary for meaningful change. By fostering a deeper understanding of the interplay between art and democracy, the podcast presents a hopeful vision for the future—one where creative practices not only enrich our understanding of ourselves but also empower us to collectively shape the world around us. In this light, the episode serves as an inspiring reminder of the enduring power of art to catalyze social transformation and reinforce the fundamental ideals of democracy.Takeaways The podcast explores the role of art in fostering democracy and collaboration. Art can serve as a powerful tool for reclaiming democratic spaces and identities. Collaborative art-making helps bridge cultural differences and create common ground among communities. Effective organizing requires integrating artistic practices to shift narratives and foster engagement. Trust and cooperation are essential for successful collaborative artistic endeavors...