fbpx Arts Advocacy and Arts Policy | HowlRound Theatre Commons

Arts Advocacy and Arts Policy

Questions and ideas around the relationship between the arts and government are explored in this section, including a guide to advocating for the arts at a national level in the United States, a vision for a new Green Federal Theatre Project, and many pieces about arts policy in cities and countries around the world.

The Latest

Essay
Creative Labor, Creative Conditions, and the Case for May Day
by Nataki Garrett
11 June 2026
Essay
This Piece May Not Be Fed Into Any LLM or Other AI Software for Any Reason Whatsoever
by Kate Brennan, Rachel Anderson-Rabern, David Lee White
1 April 2026
Essay
Floridian Theatremakers Fight Back Against State and Local Governments in Arts Funding Battle
by Zachary Rivera
2 March 2026
Video

Leaders from racial justice, environmental justice, immigrant rights, and economic justice groups share strategies for building movement power together

Friday 9 October 2020
United States

The US Department of Arts and Culture, Arts & Democracy, and Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY (NOCD-NY) presented the conversation Activating the Cultural Power of a Movement livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 9 October 2020 at 1 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 3 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 4 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

image of woman wearing mask in orange environment
Video

Annual meeting of Alternate ROOTS: a coalition committed to building a just world through arts, community, and activism

Friday 18 September to Sunday 4 October 2020
United States

Alternate ROOTS presented ROOTS Week Annual Meeting & Artists’ Retreat livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv from Friday 18 September to Sunday 4 October 2020.

Pink background, text: safe havens in big yellow font. Below in black smaller letters, Freedom Talks @ ArtsEquator.
Video

A panel on recent arts and culture censorship

Friday 25 September 2020
Southeast Asia

Safe Havens Freedom Talks presented the panel Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia: Proxy Wars in collaboration with ArtsEquator livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 25 September 2020 at 8:30 p.m. SGT (Singapore, UTC +8) / 2:30 p.m. CEST (Stockholm, UTC +2) / 13:30 BST (London, UTC +1) / 8:30 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4)

graphic of faces with text OUR VOTES OUR FUTURES OUR VOTES OUR VOICES
Video

Inspiring nonpartisan programs in both urban and rural communities related to the election and census

Monday 14 September 2020
United States

The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture presented We Decide: Arts, Culture and Voting Power livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 14 September at 1 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 3 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 4 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

Event

Nicole Stodard and Kaja Dunn, in partnership with the Parent Artist Advocacy League, led a Twitter chat navigating work/life balance and anti-racist activism as a #ParentArtist during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scan of a vintage text
Essay
18 August 2020

Seth Wilson argues that the relatively low reputation of the study and pursuit of theatre is the primary way antitheatricalism manifests itself today.

headshot of carlton turner
Video

hosted and created by YBCA Senior Fellows Brett Cook and Liz Lerman

Wednesday 1 July 2020
United States

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presented Alchemy of the Reset with Carlton Turner livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 1 July 2020 at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

headshot of pedro noguera
Video

hosted and created by YBCA Senior Fellows Brett Cook and Liz Lerman

Wednesday 24 June 2020
United States

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presented Alchemy of the Reset with Pedro Noguera livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 24 June 2020 at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

headshot of natalie diaz
Video

hosted and created by YBCA Senior Fellows Brett Cook and Liz Lerman

Wednesday 17 June 2020
United States

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presented Alchemy of the Reset with Natalie G. Diaz livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 17 June 2020 at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

Safe Havens Freedom Talks banner.
Video

Episode 1

Friday 5 June 2020
Egypt

Meet Ramy Essam, rock star, human rights defender and an important voice in the Egyptian revolution, in conversation on the Balaha case with Alfons Karabuda from UNESCO founded International Music Council (IMC), Andra Matei, Avant-Garde Lawyers – Defending Artists. Sanni Kahilainen, campaign leader and with Ole Reitov, consultant and founder of Freemuse as the moderator.

Video

A guided response to Creating New Futures: Working Guidelines for Ethics & Equity in Presenting Dance & Performance, a tentatively-titled, living document-in-progress

Thursday 14 May 2020
United States

REAL TALK!, a guided response to Creating New Futures: Working Guidelines for Ethics & Equity in Presenting Dance & Performance, a tentatively-titled, living document-in-progress, was livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 14 May 2020 at 12 p.m. HST (Hawaii, UTC-10) / 2 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-8) / 3 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 5 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 6 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

actors on stage reading from music stands
Video

with playwright Lauren Gunderson

Tuesday 21 April 2020
United States

Playwright Lauren Gunderson presented a conversation A Critical Approach: Playwriting, Advocacy and Dramaturgy with Regina Victor and Lauren livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 21 April 2020 at 12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

Miki Braniște
Essay
13 February 2020

Széker Jetta sits down with Miki Braniște to talk about Cluj’s arts and culture policies, how they have changed over time, and how they have affected the city’s independent artistic scene.

protest image saying culture is the national fund.
Video

A call-to-action panel discussion about the context of this crisis and how to help.

Sunday 8 December 2019
Budapest, Hungary

A call-to-action panel discussion about Hungary’s funding emergency in the performing arts livestreamed from Jurányi performing arts theatre, Budapest on the commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Sunday 8 December 2019 at 1:30 p.m PST (Los Angeles, UTC -8) / 4:30 p.m EST (New York, UTC -5) / 21:30 GMT (London, UTC +0) / 22:30 CET (Budapest, UTC +1) / 23:30 (Bucharest, UTC +2).

Essay

A Summary of the Results from Got Your Back’s 2018 National Survey

3 November 2019

Sarah Robbins, Neil Silcox, and Jennifer Wigmore share findings from Got Your Back Canada’s national survey on actor training in the country.

actors in front of a colorful wall of newspaper
Video

from Rijeka, Croatia

Thursday 24 October to Saturday 26 October 2019
Rijeka, Croatia

IETM presented the IETM Rijeka Plenary Meeting livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network from Thursday 24 October to Saturday 26 October 2019.

a vintage show poster
Essay

Rethinking the Commoditized Theatre and the Public Space

22 October 2019

Charles M Pepiton discusses professional theatre’s commercial roots, how mission statements of non-profits today focus on social engagement, community-based development, and more.

shadows of legs walking
Essay
13 October 2019

Goran Tomka looks at what audience development is, the phenomenon of an implied or implicit audience, decolonizing institutions, and more.

two headshots
Essay
9 October 2019

Producer Tobi Kyeremateng and poet/writer Roger Robinson talk about Black writers in the UK, creative citizenship, activism in the arts, and more.

an audience view of a concert
Essay

A Poverty of Ambition

8 October 2019

Dr. David Stevenson talks about audience diversification, confronts the dominant hierarchy of cultural activities, and looks to create space for valuing everyone’s chosen cultural experiences the same way.

10th anniversary banner
Video

as part of their 10th anniversary season.

Saturday 5 October 2019
Cluj, Romania

The Paintbrush Factory / Fabrica de Pensule in Cluj, Romania presents three debates as part of their 10th Anniversary season livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV at howlround.tv starting on Saturday 5 October 2019 at 6 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 10:00 UTC +0 / 11 a.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 12:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2) / 13:00 EEST (Cluj, UTC +3). 

politicians giving a press conference
Essay
30 July 2019

Karen Malpede argues that significant theatrical engagement with the climate crisis cannot occur in the United States without governmental intervention, and looks at the Federal Theatre Project as a model.

Event

Progress of Education and Prevention in The Theatre

In recognition of National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Yvette Heyliger of the League of Professional Theatre Women and HowlRound Theatre Commons facilitated a Twitter chat to discuss about preventing sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault in the creative workspace.

Mass Creative's Creativity Connects event logo.
Video

Hosted by ArtsEmerson in Boston

Tuesday 26 March 2019
Boston, Massachusetts

MASSCreative presented Creativity Connects: MASSCreative Arts Advocacy Day livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 26 March 2019 at 7 a.m. PDT (San Francisco) / 9 a.m. CDT (Chicago) / 10 a.m. EDT (Boston).

Video

at Emerson College in Boston, MA

Friday 15 March 2019 - Sunday 17 March 2019
Emerson College, Jackie Liebergott Black Box in the Paramount Theatre, Boston

The Deaf Theatre Action Planning Session was a convening that took place Friday to Sunday 15-17 March 2019 at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts.

Subscribe to HowlRound

Sign up for our daily, weekly, or quarterly emails so you never miss the latest theatre conversations.

Sign me up

Support HowlRound

We fundraise to keep all our programs free and open and to pay our contributors. Thank you to all who make our work possible!

Donate today