Sustaining Our Communities’ Well-Being: The Arts to the Rescue

Monday, October 19, 3:45pm – 4:45pm

Organized and moderated by Zeyba Rahman, Senior Program Officer, Building Bridges Program, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

Presented by Rachel Cooper, Director, Global Performing Arts and Special Cultural Initiatives, Asia Society; and Shireen Zaman, Program Director, Rights and Security Collaborative, Proteus Fund.

Can, and should, funders play a greater role in supporting artists and arts organizations to address critical societal issues arising from prejudice to advance the well-being of their communities? Artists and presenters are increasingly finding expectations and opportunities to engage the public in experiences that address an urgent need to understand matters of gender, race, class, sexual orientation, Islamophobia, or other pressing issues. This session will explore approaches, whether traditionally arts-focused or from other fields, that might help the capacity of artists and organizations to comprehend and respond quickly. It will explore how injecting the arts into public discourse can accelerate learning and provoke sustained conversations about vital issues at the local, national, and international levels. Session attendees will also be invited to share their best strategies and success stories.