Arts & Democracy Project

The Arts & Democracy Project builds the momentum of a movement that links arts and culture, participatory democracy, and social justice. The Project works to increase civic engagement among people who have been traditionally disenfranchised and to build closer ties between arts and culture and sustained and strategic activism. Its programs deliberately link the national and the local, reflecting the belief that social change, policymaking and field building are best grounded in the nuanced and dynamic contexts of community practice. The Arts & Democracy Project’s broad mission of recognizing, complementing, supporting, and enhancing work in the field is carried out through core programs that include:

• Cultural organizing strategic partnerships

• Capacity building and cross training involving multiple sectors

• Convenings, briefings, and presentations

• Bridge Conversations: a collection of written and multimedia essays about powerful strategies that live in the intersections of disciplines, sectors, cultures, and generations

• Media Map: an online resource of exemplary programs that connect arts, culture, and media with policymaking and organizing

• A Learning Community that supports peer learning among artists, educators, cultural organizers, and other activists

• Resources including a website, blog, and e-blasts. 

The Arts & Democracy Project is structured as a decentralized national network. It is a sponsored project of State Voices.