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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

La MaMa LiveTalks: Dmitry Krymov and Yasha Klots
Video
La MaMa LiveTalks: Dmitry Krymov and Yasha Klots
Join us for a live conversation between celebrated exiled Russian Dimity Krymov and Yasha Klots, associate professor of Russian, CUNY Hunter College.
Monday 25 March 2024
New York
Ripples of Legacy in California’s Latinx Theatres
Essay
Ripples of Legacy in California’s Latinx Theatres
by Richard Falcon, Fran Astorga
12 June 2023
Claim Your Culture, Find Your Power
Essay
Claim Your Culture, Find Your Power
by Jacqueline Flores, Abel López
5 May 2023
headshot of natalie diaz
Alchemy of the Reset with Natalie G. Diaz
Video

Alchemy of the Reset with Natalie G. Diaz

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.
Safe Havens Freedom Talks: Ramy Essam and The Balaha Case
Video

Safe Havens Freedom Talks: Ramy Essam and The Balaha Case

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.

REAL TALK!
Video

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

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
A Critical Approach: Playwriting, Advocacy and Dramaturgy with Regina Victor and Lauren
Video

A Critical Approach: Playwriting, Advocacy and Dramaturgy with Regina Victor and Lauren

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
The Evolving Cultural Ecosystem of Cluj
Essay

The Evolving Cultural Ecosystem of Cluj

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.
Hungary’s Funding Emergency in the Performing Arts
Video

Hungary’s Funding Emergency in the Performing Arts

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).

The State of Acting Training in Canada
Essay

The State of Acting Training in Canada

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
IETM Rijeka Plenary Meeting
Video

IETM Rijeka Plenary Meeting

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
Trade Show Business
Essay

Trade Show Business

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
All We Need Is Audience Development?
Essay

All We Need Is Audience Development?

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
The Only Thing Black Writers Really Have is Their Relationships
Essay

The Only Thing Black Writers Really Have is Their Relationships

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
Cultural Participation Policies
Essay

Cultural Participation Policies

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
Debates from The Paintbrush Factory / Fabrica de Pensule in Cluj, Romania.
Video

Debates from The Paintbrush Factory / Fabrica de Pensule in Cluj, Romania.

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
The Necessity of a New Green Federal Theatre Project
Essay

The Necessity of a New Green Federal Theatre Project

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.

It Doesn't Have to be #MeToo
Event

It Doesn't Have to be #MeToo

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.
Creativity Connects: MASSCreative Arts Advocacy Day
Video

Creativity Connects: MASSCreative Arts Advocacy Day

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).

Deaf Theatre Action Planning Session
Video

Deaf Theatre Action Planning Session

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.

balloons flying out of the van of a roof
Berlin: Governing a “Creative” City
Essay

Berlin: Governing a “Creative” City

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
Belonging in a “Creative” City
Essay

Belonging in a “Creative” City

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
We Need Theatre to Exist, and Maybe Research Can Prove Its Necessity
Essay

We Need Theatre to Exist, and Maybe Research Can Prove Its Necessity

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. 

The StageSource 2018 Town Hall
Video

The StageSource 2018 Town Hall

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).

Towards Cultural Access and Participation in Portugal
Essay

Towards Cultural Access and Participation in Portugal

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.

Graz, Austria
Essay

Graz, Austria

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.

The Artist as Agent for Change
Essay

The Artist as Agent for Change

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.

F*ck the System (And the Horse It Rode In On)
Essay

F*ck the System (And the Horse It Rode In On)

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.