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
balloons flying out of the van of a roof
Essay
25 October 2018

Through conversation between Senator Dr. Klaus Lederer and artist-advocate Christophe Knoch, Friederike Landau explores how political decision-makers and artist-activists can work together to create meaningful change for the independent theatre scene in Berlin.

three people sitting at a table having a conversation
Essay
11 October 2018

Dr. Friederike Landau and Christophe Knoch explore artist activism in Berlin, detailing the purpose of the Koalition der Freien Szene and weaving in thoughts from the city’s senator for culture and Europe, Dr. Klaus Lsderer.

two people sitting
Essay
26 June 2018

Theatre artist and educator Robert Ruffin explores the idea of theatre being necessary for human survival and the research that needs to be undertaken to prove it. 

Video
Tuesday 15 May 2018
Boston, MA, United States

StageSource in Boston presented the 2018 Town Hall on gender parity and opportunities for deaf artists livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Tuesday 15 May 2018 at 6:30 p.m. EDT (Boston, UTC -4) / 3:30 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles, UTC -7).

Essay
29 March 2018

Maria Vlachou, Executive Director of Acesso Cultura | Access Culture, a not-for-profit that promotes access to cultural participation in Portugal, writes about work being done in the country to break down structural and geographical barriers to arts and culture.

Essay

City of Culture…City of Climate Change Communication

21 March 2018

American Studies scholar and educator Nassim Winnie Balestrini reports on how Climate Change Theatre Action relates to her seminar on cultural studies at the University of Graz in Austria.

Essay
16 November 2017

Brussels-based choreographer, curator, and writer Michiel Vandevelde argues that artists need to reclaim a place of power in the arts sector.

Essay
17 September 2017

Chantal Bilodeau kicks off this week's series on Theatre in the Age of Climate Change, and argues that we as a theatre community need to recognize when our practices and systems are detrimental to the earth and other people, and strive to change them.

Essay
1 May 2017

Sara Brookner writes about her experiences and take-aways from participating in National Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, and Arts Matter Advocacy Day in Boston, MA.

Video

ArtsEmerson's Paramount Theater

Tuesday 28 March 2017
Boston, MA, United States

MASSCreative presented Arts Matter Advocacy Day livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 28 March at 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT (Boston) / 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. CDT (Chicago) / 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. MDT (Denver) / 7:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. PDT (San Francisco) / 14:00-16:30 UTC / 3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. BST (London) / 16:00-18:30 CEST (Brussels). Use hashtag #AMAD17 and follow @masscreative on Twitter & Instagram and on Facebook to participate in the conversation. The livestream will be live-captioned.

Essay

Squeaky Fromme, Assassins, and the Call for Arts Activism

28 March 2017

Kitty Drexel writes about Stephen Sondheim's Assassins , and the need for artists to defend natinoal arts funding.

Video
Wednesday 22 March 2017
New York, NY, United States

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center in New York City presented Create NYC: A Symposium and Town Hall livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 22 March all day beginning at 2:00 p.m. EST (New York) / 1:00 p.m. CST (Chicago) / 11:00 a.m. PST (Los Angeles).

Video

A forum bringing together sixteen candidates for New York City council and theatre artists to discuss key community issues

Wednesday 15 March 2017
New York, NY, United States

The League of Independent Theater (LIT) in New York City presented a Meet the Candidates Forum livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Wednesday 15 March at 7:00 p.m. EDT (New York) / 6:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 4:00 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles).

Essay
29 January 2017

Michael Whatley makes the case why every theatre should have an active shooter policy.

Essay

A Theatrical Protest Initiative

16 January 2017

Playwright Tiffany Antone discusses Little Black Dress INK’s “We’re Not Playing” initiative, advocating the need for theatrical protest for social change.

Essay
12 January 2017

Saheem Ali, a steering committee member for The Ghostlight Project, outlines the inspiration for and aims of the initiative, and suggests action steps for individuals and institutions. 

Essay

You don’t bring nuance to an iron fistfight)

3 December 2016

Playwright Abbey Fenbert on the new mandate for theatre artists.

Video
Wednesday 16 November 2016
New York, NY, United States

The New York City Cultural Agenda Fund presented the convening Cultural and Racial Equity in Practice: Current Policy and Research and the Future of New York City livestreamed on the global, commons based peer produced HowlRound TV at howlround.tv Wednesday 16 November at 3:00 p.m. EST (New York) / 12:00 p.m. PST (Los Angeles) / 2:00 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 20:00 GMT/UTC (London). Share your thoughts in Twitter with #culturalequity and #CreateNYC and follow @HowlRoundTV for updates.

Video
Monday 2 May 2016
New York, NY, United States

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented Cultural Advocacy & Policy in NYC: A Forum livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 2 May at 3:30 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles) / 5:30 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 6:30 p.m. EDT (New York). On Twitter use #HowlRound

Video
Friday 15 April 2016
Amsterdam, Netherlands

IETM’s Plenary Meeting in Amsterdam: Live Art in Digital Times presented the conversation Advocating for the Arts livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Friday 15 April at 12:30-14:00 CEST (Amsterdam) / 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. BST (London) / 10:30-12:00 GMT / 6:30 a.m.-8 a.m. EDT (New York) / 13:30-15:00 EEST (Bucharest) / 16:00-18:30 IST (New Delhi) / 18:30-20:00 SGT (Singapore) / 19:30-21:00 JST (Tokyo) / 20:30-22:00 AEST (Sydney). You can join the discussions in the session by sending your questions and remarks on twitter with the hashtag #IETMAmsterdam.

Video
Monday 28 March 2016
Boston, MA, United States

The City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture presented the Boston Creates Town Hall livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 28 March at 6 p.m. EDT / 3 p.m. PDT / 22:00 GMT. For more information, visit www.bostoncreates.org. Social media users can engage with the process on Twitter using #BostonCreates or by following on Facebook

Video
Monday 7 March and Tuesday 8 March 2016

 

IETM presents the Satellite Meeting in Paris livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 7 March and Tuesday 8 March. 

Video

This Gubernatorial Candidates’ Forum will provide an opportunity to meet the gubernatorial candidates who will appear on the September primary ballot to discuss priority issues affecting immigrant communities in Massachusetts. This will be a non-partisan forum where all candidates will have a few minutes to address issues of importance to immigrants in our Commonwealth. This forum is hosted by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.

Masscreative create the vote banner
Video
Tuesday 15 July 2014
MA, United States

Create the Vote, a coalition of artists and arts, cultural, and creative institutions based throughout Massachusetts, hosted the Gubernatorial Forum on Arts, Culture, and Creativity livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 15 July 2014.

Martin walsh campaign ad.
Video
Saturday 25 January 2014

Join us for an Arts and Culture Public Hearing livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 25 January at 6:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. PST (San Francisco) / 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. CST (Chicago) / 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. EST (New York).

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