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.
CAST Annual Report
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.CAST Faculty News: Achievements
Elizabeth Bradfield
In November, 2019, poet Elizabeth Bradfield and artist Antonia Contro collaborated to publish Theorem, a hand-made, letterpressed art book in an edition of 30. Candor Arts, of Chicago, were the publishers.
Emilie Diouf and Faith Smith
CAST Advisory Committee members Emilie Diouf (English) and Faith Smith (English and AAAS) were recipients of the 2020-2021 Mandel Faculty Grants in the Humanities. Smith was awarded a grant for her work “Errant Voices: Traumatic Text and the Making of African Women Refugees” and Smith was awarded a grant for her work “Silk Roads and Highways: Imagining ‘China’ in the Caribbean Today.”
Toni Shapiro-Phim
Toni's article, "Embodying the Pain and Cruelty of Others," was just published in the International Journal of Transitional Justice. Read the abstract.
Broadsides to Brandeis: An Evening of Artistic Response
Monday, February 24, 2020
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex (ASAC), Atrium
Announcing the opening of the CAST (Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation) and Creative Writing exhibition space, outside the Creativity Lab on the top floor of the Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex!
Co-hosted by the CAST and Creative Writing UDRs, "Broadsides to Brandeis" celebrates our new permanent installation of the public art of Broadsided, a press founded by Brandeis professor Elizabeth Bradfield, co-director of the Creative Writing Program. Broadsided Press selects and commissions work from poets and visual artists and makes their work available on the streets of communities. It brings words together with the energy of original visual art, publishing monthly collaborations on the website as pdfs that are then downloaded, printed, and posted around the world by "Vectors."
Minor Requirements
Interested in the Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation minor? Find out what courses you'll need to complete.
Read more about Spring 2020 CAST elective courses and events!
