In the borderland between human suffering and human possibility we find artists, cultural workers, justice-seekers and peace-builders acting with courage, beauty, compassion and power. Brandeis™ minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST) will engage you in interdisciplinary exploration of the stories, the people, the actions and the artworks that animate this boundary.
Twenty-first century leaders will be called upon to engage creatively with the large-scale inter-related environmental, political and economic challenges that will confront communities around the world. Through courses where you can explore theory and practice at the nexus of the arts, creativity, social justice and peace, the CAST minor will challenge and support you to develop the capacity for resilience for "bouncing back" intellectually, culturally, ethically, emotionally and spiritually.
By joining CAST™s community of inquiry, and by taking courses in the humanities, the arts, and social sciences, you will become prepared for careers and vocations that link your talents and interests in creativity and the arts with your concerns for the needs of communities, and for social justice and peace.
Announcement: Appointment of Toni Shapiro-Phim
22 May 2019
The Interdisciplinary Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST) at Brandeis University is delighted to announce the appointment of Toni Shapiro-Phim as Associate Professor of Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation and Assistant Director of the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts (outside the tenure track). Beginning fall semester 2019, Professor Shapiro-Phim will co-chair the CAST minor, offer its core course (CAST 150b), develop two new CAST-designated courses, and support the program in Peacebuilding and the Arts. Read the full announcement.
Artists Unite for a Green New Deal — USDAC Summer Call Series
August 22 and Sept 5
This summer USDAC is hosting a free, three-part series of online video calls to learn about the policy, science, and strategy behind a Green New Deal—and to dream into the role of cultural workers, community artists, and creative activists in making it real! You can join for the whole series, or any of the individual calls.
Sophiline Arts Ensemble Performing Phka Sla; Choreography by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro
Photo Credit: Sophiline Arts Ensemble
Dance in the Aftermath of Mass Violence
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Time: 2:00 - 4:50 pm
Location: TBA
Members of the Cambodia-based Sophiline Arts Ensemble will present a lecture-demonstration about choreography in post-genocide Cambodia, and the relationship between legacies of violence and contemporary expressive culture. They'll perform an excerpt from a recent piece developed as an official "reparations" project of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal -- the international court trying Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity and genocide.
This event is sponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST). For more information, please contact ethics@brandeis.edu. All are welcome!
Michelle Ortiz
Familias Separadas/Central Americans Held in Detention Centers
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Time: 2:00 - 4:50 pm
Location: TBA
Visual artist, muralist, community arts educator and immigrant rights activist Michelle Ortiz will introduce her Familias Separadas project -- a series of public art installations in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, about the impact of family separations.
This event is sponsored by the Minor in Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST). For more information, please contact ethics@brandeis.edu. All are welcome!
CAST Annual Report
Newly released, this report outlines the activities of the minor in Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation (CAST) in its fifth year, fall 2018–spring 2019. The report includes highlights from CAST courses, Design Labs and other events, student updates and capstone projects, as well as changes to the Advisory Committee and staff, including the appointment of Toni Shapiro-Phim as Associate Professor. Read annual report from this year and previous years.Minor Requirements
Interested in the Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation minor? Find out what courses you'll need to complete.
