Peacebuilding and the Arts

• Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) — "Now, more than ever, artists are putting their lives on the line. As COVID-19 rages across the globe, authoritarian regimes are taking advantage of emergency powers to crackdown on dissent, often under the guise of 'disinformation.' At the same time, social movements calling for change gather momentum, leading to ever more hostility from those in power... " 
• Heritage Matters Webinar Series (International Institute for the Inclusive Museums) — "The current COVID 19 situation has brought the arts, culture, heritage and environmental sectors into a deep crisis. It is one for which no country or community was prepared. As we ride the wave or tsunami of emergencies, the challenge remains as to how we move forward building on the resilience of communities and cultural groups. What is the best way for governments to make interventions with immediate and long-term impacts? How best can civil society engage? What does inclusion and sustainability mean in the immediate and long-term future? To safeguard the grassroots cultural and linguistic diversity of our countries and beyond borders, what are the pathways for the future? We know how much Heritage Matters, but how can we position heritage in all its manifestations in the holistic discourse of sustainable heritage development? How do we rethink the way we approach the UN Sustainable Development Goals? How do we continue to locate and advocate for culture in development through demonstration projects? These and many other questions and concerns will be addressed in this series of AnantU Webinars facilitated by the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum and the International Centre for Inclusive Cultural Leadership, AnantU."

• Imperative 21 — Imperative 21 is a business-led network driving progressive economic system change, focusing on shared prosperity, free and fair markets, climate action, racial justice and gender equity. It seeks to drive a "reset" from shareholder primacy to an economic system designed for interdependence. It's launch asserts that "art has the power to wake people up and create meaningful change. Art can be a compass pointing towards the future we want to live in.
• The Missing Pillar: Culture's Contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (British Council) — The report recommends ways that culture can contribute more effectively to sustainable development, taking its place alongside the three acknowledged pillars (economic, social and environmental imperatives.)
• 'White Savior' Premieres at Pygmalion Productions — Pygmalion Productions will be opening its 2020-21 season with the world premiere of 'White Savior' by internationally acclaimed playwright Catherine Filloux. The play will be filmed and will be available to view online before the election. Actors will not wear masks for the recording.
• Theatre Relief Fund for Lebanon — A fundraiser by a group of theater practitioners in Lebanon who came together during a state of emergency after the explosion in Beirut's port on Aug. 4, 2020. Their aim is to offer immediate and rapid aid to the affected theater community, including spaces.
• OneShared.World — OneShared.World is a visionary movement inspired by Jamie Metzl, a member of the advisory board of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life at Brandeis University. A recent summit attracted over a million participants. Among a cornucopia of informative, inspiring and distinguished speakers, Inupiaq native Alaskan poet Joan Naviyuk Kane offered an opening invocation ("I began to accept my past, and as I accepted it/I felt, and I didn't understand:/ I am bound to everyone"). Opera singer Renée Fleming spoke eloquently about the power of music and the arts to address the most basic of human needs and forge the connections needed for collaboration.
• The Modern Endangered Archives Program's second cohort broadens its global reach, including preservation of cultural heritage in conflict zones — The Modern Endangered Archives Program is dedicated to digitizing and making accessible endangered archival materials from the 20th and 21st centuries, including print, photographic, film, audio, ephemeral and born-digital objects. This year's projects include activism around human rights, ecological justice and women's movements; visual history of public space and indigeneity; and memory of displaced peoples and lost spaces. One grant recipient, "Preserving Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis: The Role of Social Media," is directed by Kristin Parker, Boston Public Library (USA) and Rasha Kanjarawi, Museum for Islamic Art, Berlin (Germany). This project will identify and survey virtual cultural heritage collections, seen as commemorative community archives, created by Aleppians and other Syrians who have been forcibly displaced from their homes. Kristin Parker is an affiliate of Brandeis University's Creativity, Arts and Social Transformation program.
• Listen Courageously — LIST(e)N, award-winning film that recently made its debut in film festivals across the U.S., brings together three sets of individuals with opposing viewpoints, to listen to each other and transcend their differences. Now, Listen Courageously empathy-inducing virtual experience is on a mission to make people more aware of their listening blocks and better able to engage in heart-centered conversations that lead to understanding.
• Change the Story / Change the World — Change the Story/Change the World is a first-of-a-kind weekly podcast that shares stories of artists and community transformation across the globe. Join Bill Cleveland as he explores the stories of artists helping communities navigate a world turning inside out and upside down. Each episode will introduce you to creative change agents working to re-imagine and recreate the social, political and cultural narratives that define their communities.
• The Minor in Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation (CAST) at Brandeis University publishes a statement of commitment in solidarity with Black Lives Matter — Two CAST students, along with the program co-chairpeople, have crafted a statement outlining CAST's commitment to work toward repairing the racial, gender, economic and environmental injustices, health disparities and erasure of heritage that continue to situate Black lives as less valuable and more disposable than white lives. "Black lives matter. Black flourishing matters."
• Fund for Black Theatre in the U.S. — "Black Theatre is alive and vibrant; however, Black Theatre is not funded." — August Wilson, 1996
• Artist Support: List of Resources for Artists in Need — Contemporary And list of grants offering support to artists in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Stimulus Package for Artists in Kenya — Artists of various sectors and media in Kenya are being called on to create "works that entertain and educate Kenyans and the world on the safety and health precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19." Overseen by the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, this Work for Pay initiative includes a Kshs. 100 million stimulus package for artists, actors and musicians.
• ICOM Webinar | Preparing for the Reopening of Museums: The Aftermath of a Pandemic — "A recent ICOM survey estimates that 95% of museums around the world have remained closed for an extended period in recent months. The ICOM Webinar "Preparing for the Reopening of Museums: The Aftermath of a Pandemic" engaged all participants in a discussion to take stock of what happened during these long months of closing, assessing the innovative projects that have proved useful for the future."

The U.S. will hold a presidential election in early November, and many artists and arts initiatives are encouraging participation.

Compiled by Toni Shapiro Phim

• Plan Your Vote — A visual campaign, Plan Your Vote is a prompt for U.S. citizens to take action. More than 60 artists created images that encourage registration for and voting in the November 2020 election.
• The Musician's Guide to Getting Out the Vote with HeadCount (Cyber PR) — Non-partisan, HeadCount reaches young people at concerts and online, "to inform and empower."
• Art Makes Polling Places Easier to Find and More Fun to Visit in Philadelphia (Knight Foundation/The Voting Signage Project) — "The Voting Signage Project begins with the simple question: ‘Can public art increase voter engagement?'"
• Come to Vote, Stay for the Art (The New York Times) — "California is promoting vote by mail… But for those wanting to vote in person… counties have become… creative."
• Hamilton Cast Reimagines Their Show's Lyrics to Promote Voter Registration Day (National Public Radio) — "Instead of unfurling the biography of Alexander Hamilton and the Founding Fathers [of the United States], the new lyrics are packed with messaging about voter participation — laying out the stakes and the nitty-gritty of casting a ballot."
• Jon Batiste's "We Are: A Voter Registration Recital," New York City, June 2020
• We Decide: Arts, Culture and Voting Power (U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC)) — Arts & Democracy and the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture share information about "inspiring nonpartisan programs in both urban and rural communities related to the election and the census, with a focus on historically disenfranchised communities."

U.S. Department of Arts and Culture list of resources related to their webinar, We Decide (see above):

• Amended podcast — Amended, a podcast from Humanities New York tells a story of the struggle for women's voting rights that is as diverse, unfinished and complex as the nation itself. IG: @amendedpodcast
• Americans for the Arts — Americans for the Arts provides tools, research, and training that help arts professionals and community members become seasoned arts advocates.
• Art on the Streets—Create the Vote Campaign — Coloring pages created by local artists make it fun for everyone to share the how, when, and where of voting in the time of COVID.
• Auntie Sewing Squad — A national collective of volunteers who have turned their living rooms into "sweatshops" to provide proper PPE to essential workers and vulnerable communities. They also make masks for voter outreach effort volunteers.
• Dance2Vote — Dance/USA's election toolkit and get-out-to-vote campaign ensures dance artists, professionals and supporters have accurate information about voting and know the issues impacting the dance industry and the arts sector.
• IllumiNative — IllumiNative amplifies contemporary Native voices, stories and issues to build power for Native peoples to advance justice, equity, and self-determination. Visit their newly launched Natives Vote campaign, Nativesvote.
• PEN America's Election Defense, Media Literacy, & Disinformation Programming — Learn about election defense, media literacy, and disinformation programming.
• Radical Cram School — "These Girls are Running for Office" — Performance artist and comedian Kristina Wong talks to the Young Rebels about what it means to be a leader and why more women should run for office.
• Stories in Motion Workshop — StoryCenter director Joe Lambert hosts a workshop to geo-locate stories about place, getting out the vote, and resistance to voter suppression.
• 1HOOD — 1HOOD Media is a collective of socially conscious artists and activists who utilize art to raise awareness in Pittsburgh, PA. On Facebook Live, they are building momentum around voting and the importance of using power of the people.
• Californians for the Arts (CFTA) — CFTA is a nonpartisan, comprehensive, multidisciplinary organization focused on advancing and building public awareness of the value and impact of arts, culture and creativity across California. Advocacy Resources.
• CapRadio — Participatory storytelling initiatives in their public radio newsroom reach CA's Central Valley, Sierra Nevada and Western Nevada. CapRadio asks what do you want to hear the candidates talk about?
• Creative Acts — During #partyatthepolls, Los Angeles-based Creative Acts asks artists to perform outside polling stations. They also work with ArtAttacks to raise power and inspire incarcerated youth to vote and take action in their communities when they go home. IG AND FB: Creative_acts
• Dance The Vote — The Dance the Vote initiative uses dance, spoken word and song to raise public awareness about the importance of using your voice at the polls. Note upcoming events on social media.
• Generation Justice — In New Mexico, Generation Justice seeks to raise underrepresented voices, to heal from internalized wounds, to lift up narratives of hope and inspiration that build pathways to equity and leadership.
• HTownVotes — In partnership with Art2Action, Inc, Houston in Action presents #HTownVotes, artist and cultural practitioner projects that will motivate youth and people of color in the Houston area to mobilize to vote. Follow @Art2Action, @HoustonInAction, and #HTownVotes on social media.
• Jolt Action — Jolt is the largest Latino progressive organization in Texas, focused on building the political power and influence of young Latinos. They bring together artists from all mediums to lift up stories of resistance.

Arts

Compiled by Nicole Zamora Flores, Brandeis ’21

• A Florida panther sculpture melts before visitors' eyes to highlight the effects of climate change (CNN) — The piece of "artivism" is part of the Florida Climate Crisis Campaign by The CLEO Institute, a nonprofit focusing on climate science education in Florida, and the VoLo Foundation. 
• How long until it’s too late to save Earth from climate disaster? This clock is counting down. (The Washington Post) — How long does the world have left to act before an irreversible climate emergency alters human existence as we know it? A new digital clock unveiled in Manhattan's Union Square over the weekend promises to tell you... [artists Gan Golan And Andrew Boyd] encouraged onlookers to reflect on their own carbon footprint and to come together to create change. "The world is literally counting on us … every hour, every minute, every second, counts."
• Olafur Eliasson's AR Earth Speakr app lets children voice concerns about the climate (Dezeen) — The app is part of a collective artwork, alongside a dedicated website, which gives a platform to those who are too young to be involved in the official political process but who will bear the consequences of any decisions that are made today.
• Matagi Mālohi: Strong Winds (350.org) — Matagi Mālohi tells the story of our journey to uplift our people and shape a narrative that paints us not as victims of the climate crisis but as the leaders, the healers, the nurturers, the artists, the gardeners, the growers, the seafarers and the navigators we are. 
• Artivism’: When It Comes To Climate Change In Boston, Can Art Inspire Action? (GBH News) — "Seawalls Boston" is a group of six new murals by local artists, all part of a global project led by the PangeaSeed Foundation, with 400 murals in 17 different countries so far. The public works of art are designed to call attention to the threat of rising sea levels — something that waterfront cities like Boston cannot ignore.
• Josie Tucker & Richard Ashton — Adapt Climate Club — Laughing our way into action (Adapt Podcast in The Spaceship Earth) — Adapt is a climate club and creative organisation, using design, humour and contemporary culture to communicate climate issues in a new way. Adapt was created to share knowledge, encourage action and build a community of motivated activists.
• Survival Architecture And The Art Of Resilience — Exhibition (San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design) — Art Works for Change invited visionary architects and artists to consider artistically interpretive solutions and prototypes for emergency shelter in a climate-constrained world.
• "Countryside, The Future" — Exhibition (Guggenheim) — "Countryside, The Future" is an exhibition addressing urgent environmental, political, and socioeconomic issues through the lens of architect and urbanist Rem Koolhaas and Samir Bantal, Director of AMO, the think tank of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). The project presents investigations by AMO, Koolhaas, with students at the Harvard Graduate School of Design; the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing; Wageningen University, Netherlands; and the University of Nairobi. 
• Formafantasma investigates impact of timber industry at Cambio exhibition (Dezeen) — Formafantasma has curated a research-focused exhibition at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London, which aims to unravel the global impact of the forestry industry.
• Taipei’s Climate Artivism inspired by Greta Thunberg (Taiwan News) — Climate Artivism is an opportunity for Taiwanese students to participate in a global youth-led movement. The main goal is to use art and creativity to express one's fears and concerns about climate change. Participants will paint and put together a puzzle consisting of 5,000 large cardboard pieces, resulting in a 60-by 30-meter image that captures the creativity of hundreds of people.

Resources

• Artists & Climate Change — Celebrating artists from all disciplines whose work addresses issues related to climate change.
• Environmental Songwriters, Artists And Writers Fighting Climate Change — Environmental Songwriters, Artists And Writers Fighting Climate Change* has a goal to help build a *ecological arts revolution* with songwriters, fans, writers, organizations, and musicians world wide that come together to create a storm of environmental art that will help save our Earth’s ecosystems from collapse.
• The Artivist Alarm — The Artivist Alarm is a global collaborative project to communicate the current and future impacts of the climate crisis. The purpose of this project is to create a platform to facilitate creative communication about the reality of the impacts of …
• The Artivist Network — The Artivist Network is a collective of arts-activists and facilitators who work to support movements in more strategically engaging arts, artists and culture in creating change through the innovation, exchange and dissemination of new forms of political intervention.
• 350.org — We're an international movement of ordinary people working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.

Here we offer links to a small selection — out of numerous examples — of potent creative responses and calls to action. Please note that some include depictions and descriptions of violations of dignity, bodies, communities and lives.

• WE. DANCE. (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) — "Our voices ring loudly through our bodies' language." Text written and performed by Hope Boykin.
• Kadir Nelson's "Say Their Names" (The New Yorker) — "A closeup examination of the artist's latest cover, in which the murder of George Floyd embodies the history of violence inflicted upon black people in America."
• 5 artworks by Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian artists inspired by George Floyd: "we are watching" (The National) — "As I saw him choking underneath the officer's knee, I couldn't help but think of the Syrian children who have died of chemical attacks. They were also choking." 
• Haka for George Floyd & Black Lives Matter | honored by Maori's Haka (Viral News) — "George Floyd & Black Lives Matter were honored by Maori's Haka" in New Zealand. 
• 'Their Stories Should be Told Right': How Museums are Documenting the Protests (The Guardian) — "From collecting and storing placards to recording oral histories from those who were there, museums across America are archiving a vital moment from history."
• Daveed Diggs Asks: "What to My People is the Fourth of July?" — "Amidst the national uprising against racist violence, [actor, rapper and singer] Daveed Diggs demands we ask what the Fourth of July means to Black people in America right now."
• "Art Can Touch Our Emotional Core." (Time Magazine) — Among others featured, Palestinian-American Shirien Damra "turned to this form of commemoration in order to spread awareness in a way that avoided sharing videos that she said can be 'traumatic and triggering'… Damra adds that one thing artists can do is help illustrate what comes next." 
• 'This Is a Revolution': 18 Artists From Coast to Coast Share What They Saw and Felt at the George Floyd Protests (artnet) — "In New York, Detroit, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Philadelphia, artists were among those in the streets. Here are their stories."
• A Public Art Project Devoted to Dismantling Racism at Every Level (The New York Times Style Magazine) — "But how can Black artists, inevitably tasked with putting words and images to American brutality and injustice, reposition the burden to end racism by placing it where it should be — on white individuals?"  
• With Monuments Falling All Over Europe, We Asked Historians and Artists to Weigh in on How They Should Be Replaced (artnet) — "Experts say there are no easy answers."
• "Artivist" Nikkolas Smith Combines Art and Activism Into a Singular Superpower (National Public Radio) — Artist Nikkolas Smith celebrates and mourns Black lives in his work. 
• "My emotions were so raw": The people creating art to remember George Floyd (CNN) — "In the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, artists have been quick to respond with works that seek to memorialize, to provoke and to heal." 
• Artists Square Up To Racial Injustice Via Instagram (Wallpaper) — "Many posts across Instagram have come from artists and creatives, making new work, or recontextualising historical pieces to respond to, and give a voice to this moment. What has emerged is art's role, through the globally communicative force of social media to repeat and reinterpret messages that words often fail to articulate." 
• The Courage Museum (set to open in San Francisco in 2021) — "The Courage Museum is a design lab for the deep, transformative human change needed to prevent violence before it happens." 
• After White House Fence Comes Down, Its Activist Art and Posters Move Nearby (Hyperallergic) — "After the White House installed a controversial metal fence around its perimeter, Black Lives Matter protesters transformed the fence into a messaging board and a spontaneous art show."
• Artists Played on as Police Threatened Peaceful Demonstrators and Disrupted Elijah McClain Vigil (Daily Kos)  
• National Guard Members Dance with Protestors in Downtown Atlanta (11 Alive)  
• Defending Black Lives. Climate Activists for Black Lives (350.org) — "There is no just recovery from this pandemic or climate justice without addressing systematic extraction, harm, and violence towards Black communities… That means being more radical, more nimble, and intersectional in our work in order to confront white supremacy in ourselves and in every facet of our society." 
• "Memorial for Us All" featuring clarinetist Anthony McGill (Lyncoln Center for the Performing Arts) — "Music unlocks thoughts, feelings and memories that unite and free us. These memorials allow music to begin to heal us all, as it has in so many rituals since the beginning of time."
• Keedron Bryant Singing "I Just Wanna Live"
• LL Cool J Raps About George Floyd and Black Lives Matter (NowThis News) 
• Peaceful Black Lives Matter Protesters Get Creative (NowThis News) 
• De-Bo — No Justice, No Peace (music video) — City of Waltham (USA) Black Lives Matter March 2020. "What side of history do you want to be on? 'No Justice, No Peace' "
• Girl Performs Bomba Dance amid 'Black Lives Matter' Protest in Puerto Rico (New 18) — "A young girl was spotted dancing to the rhythm of Bomba, Puerto Rico's traditional dance, which is rooted in Boricua's African heritage."
• Art Space Sanctuary — "[W]e ask that cultural and arts institutions… join other groups in declaring sanctuary…to create… spaces that declare their refusal to condone and abet actions and laws that violate justice and conscience."
• The Mass Poor People's Assembly & Moral March on Washington A Digital Justice Gathering (USDAC) — "The largest digital and social media gathering of poor and low-wealth people, moral and religious leaders, advocates, and people of conscience in this nation's history…"
• Black Lives Matter Protests Around the World (Great Big Story) — "To dance, to kneel… We are loud, we are brave…"
• 'Through Art, I Hope That We Can Make One Tulsa' (The New York Times) — "Talking with two organizers of the movement to reclaim the long-ignored history of Black Wall Street and the Greenwood district's achievements [in the U.S. state of Oklahoma]."
• Curators Urge Guggenheim to Fix Culture That 'Enables Racism' (The New York Times) — "A letter to the director, signed by 'The Curatorial Department,' outlines steps the museum should take to diversify its staff, board and exhibitions." 
• Black Gallerists Press Forward Despite a Market That Holds Them Back (The New York Times) — "As Art Basel opens online, African-American galleries are glaringly absent."
• Banksy's Anti-racism Vigil Inspired By George Floyd's Death And Black Lives Matter (Designboom) — "British street artist Banksy has posted an anti-racism artwork on his Instagram..."
• Jammie Holmes: EVERYTHING HURTS. (Dallas Contemporary) — "Jammie Holmes: EVERYTHING HURTS. is presented to amplify and build upon the artist's response to the recent murder of George Floyd."
• Videos: Drone Footage Captures Black Lives Matter Street Murals Across NYC (Gothamist)
• Edward Colston statue replaced by sculpture of Black Lives Matter protester Jen Reid (The Guardian)
• Black Lives Matter Street Art (All Arts) — In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, artists used boarded-up New York City as their canvas.

News

• Hyperallergic Discusses Pandemic’s Effects on Museums and Art Schools (Hyperallergic) — “Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise across the US and much of the world, so Hyperallergic’s news team gathered together for week 3 of our special podcast series to discuss what’s happening at art museums, art schools, and other hubs of the art community during the coronavirus pandemic.”
• The Social Distancing Festival — “This is a site for celebrating art from all over the world, showcasing amazing talent, and coming together as a community at a time when we need it more than ever.”

Arts

• Exquisite Corps (42 choreographers, 1 dance) — "A dance-film: 42 American contemporary choreographers link together on a chain love letter to dance." Catch the sequel, "And So Say All of Us."
• "I am not a virus." A Korean-Swedish artist illustrates coronavirus-fueled racism (Canvas Arts/Public Broadcasting Service) — Through a series of one-panel comics entitled, "I am not a virus," Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom addresses hostilities Asians are facing during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
• Coronavirus: Syrian artist paints murals in war-torn Idlib to warn of outbreak (Al Arabia) — "As fears grow of an impending coronavirus outbreak in Syria, an artist in the war-torn city of Idlib is painting murals to raise public awareness about the virus — and to remind the world of the Syrian regime's ongoing attacks against civilians."
• Amid coronavirus, Dutch orchestra stages virtual performance from homes (Reuters) — Musicians from the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra play Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' from their homes.
• Art in Isolation: An Ongoing Visual Diary in Our Uncertain Times (The New York Times) — "Are we really waiting for a return to normal, or are we ready to build something different?..." Featuring reflections from various contributors.
• Alvin Ailey Launches New Streaming Series With ";Revelations" (All Arts) — Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is celebrating its 62nd anniversary with the launch of a brand new online streaming series, dubbed "Ailey All Access."
• Virtual Choir "Va pensiero" ("Nabucco" by G. Verdi) - International Opera Choir — "To ease this situation of great tension, we have decided to open the doors of our virtual rehearsal rooms, so that each singer comes closer to each other through music."
• Step Inside the Studios of Artists from Around the World (All Arts) — "To boost viewers with a little creative motivation while staying safe at home, we went through our library and picked a sampling of films that reveal the range of artist's studio processes and workday routines."
• 6 Full-Length Theater Shows You Can Now Stream Online (All Arts) — "Five episodes of the 'Best of Broadway' collection from Great Performances [a program of public television in the U.S.] are newly streaming as of March 27. All but one are live performances, and two were recorded in London ..." 
• Film: LIST(e)N — With hatred and polarization on the rise around the world, LIST(e)N (80 mins) invites people in the U.S. with opposing viewpoints on some of our most divisive issues — guns, abortion and immigration — to listen to each other. The documentary features participants whose personal lives deeply intertwine with these topics, including one of the survivors of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting. As their exchanges unfold, and they hear each other out, moments of unexpected emotional connection and understanding arise.

Resources

• Coronavirus, Beyond Intractability, and the Constructive Conflict Initiative (Beyond Intractability) — "The Coronavirus is not just an epidemiological problem. It is a serious conflict problem. Find out about Beyond Intractability's effort to help us all think through what we can do to help."

Relief Resources for Artists

• Culture of Solidarity Fund (European Cultural Foundation) — "The Fund supports imaginative cultural initiatives that, in the midst of the global pandemic crisis, reinforce European solidarity and the idea of Europe as a shared public space."
• Artist Relief fund for artists in residence in the U.S. — "To support artists during the COVID-19 crisis, a coalition of national arts grantmakers have come together to create an emergency initiative to offer financial and informational resources to artists across the United States." 
• Resources for New York-based Artists, Freelancers and Creatives During Covid-19 Crisis (All Arts)
• Coalition of Arts Funders Launches Emergency Artist Relief Fund — A coalition of national arts grantmakers, consisting of Academy of American Poets, Artadia, Creative Capital, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, MAP Fund, National YoungArts Foundation, and United States Artists, announces the launch of Artist Relief, which will provide rapid, unrestricted $5,000 relief grants to assist artists facing dire financial emergencies due to the impact of COVID-19. 
• Arts Council England Has Launched a $190 Million Emergency Relief Package for Creative Organizations and Artists (Artnet News)
• Germany Has Rolled Out a Staggering €50 Billion Aid Package For Small Businesses That Boosts Artists and Galleries — and Puts Other Countries to Shame (Artnet News) — "Artists are not only indispensable, but also vital, especially now, says the country's culture minister." 
• Sister Artists — The Advocacy Project (AP) and Quilt for Change are working together to develop an exciting new partnership between survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Mali and quilters in the Global North. Under the initiative, known as Sister Artists, survivors have produced 40 embroidered blocks describing the life they led in northern Mali before they were assaulted and driven from their homes during the conflict. Quilt for Change invited quilters from the Global North to turn the blocks into an art quilt. 
• Film: "Dancing With the Cannibal Giant" — "Dancing With the Cannibal Giant: Five New Stories for the Great Transition" is a documentary film portraying five remarkable stories of people and places transforming the world. Narrated by Penobscot elder, Sherri Mitchell (Weh'na Ha'mu Kwasset), we are introduced to the Penobscot mythology of the cannibal giant: a creature awakened by the destruction of mother earth. The film is told through the lens of this powerful prophecy: only if people can awaken to their own destruction, and the need for change, will the cannibal giant be put back to sleep. 
• Earth Systems Journey — Earth Systems Journey (ESJ) is a curriculum framework for art-led, experiential, place-based environmental education about environmental flows, (such as water, air, energy or material) through a school building and grounds or other learning environment. 

News

• 100 days in: 10 creative ways Hongkongers sustain their protests away from the barricades (Hong Kong Free Press) — "From laser pen light shows, to flashmob singalongs and human chains, we look at some of the inventive methods embraced by a movement that shows no signs of abating..."
• Hong Kong's Protesters Subvert the Holiday Season With Radical Christmas Cards (Hyperallergic) — "As the protest movement against police brutality, eroding democratic rights, and a belatedly-withdrawn extradition bill moves into its seventh month, protesters are hijacking the Christmas card tradition under the #freehkxmascard hashtag. For example… one [card] directed towards folks overseas includes a ‘simple' Christmas wish: ‘to be able to breathe the air of freedom along with you all...' "  
• Lebanese Art Community Joins Unprecedented Protests (Hyperallergic) — "As artists discuss the role of contemporary art in times of revolution and rally on the streets, 20 leading arts organizations issued a statement of solidarity with protesters across Lebanon..."

Arts

• Hong Kong Protest Art. Here Are Some Examples of Their Work (Time) — "A local designer who goes by the name Phesti borrowed from the imagery of local subway signs to create a logo of figures holding hands... The image quickly went viral. Phesti says his designs are for 'people like me, who are in the peaceful camp don't dare to protest on the front line and engage in more aggressive action.' He hopes the work will make such individuals 'feel like they can still participate in something and find a way of saying what's on their mind.'" 
• Creativity at the Service of Social Mobilization in Chile (NACLA) — "Artistic expression is not only central to the protests in Chile — it's part of a long national tradition of resistance… Examples of these manifestations range from music and performance to murals, installations, comics, street and body art, and graffiti, all overlapping within the appropriation of public space...." 
• How are Lebanese protesters using art to express their views? (Euronews) — "Against the backdrop of Lebanon's political protests, which began in October, a creative and musical art scene emerged. Spray-painting a picture of the country's socio-political landscape is a muralist who goes by the name, Exist… 'In a community that has been restricted culturally and financially, I think it's about time to say we don't want, like slavery,' says the graffiti and street-artist. 'We wrote about our revolution, that's where culture comes out of, you know, our struggles...'" 
• At Hong Kong Protests, Art That Imitates Life (The New York Times) — "Soon after a woman in Hong Kong was hit in the eye at a protest, her likeness began circulating as a meme on internet forums where many demonstrators blamed her injury on the police. Within a couple of weeks, protesters had raised over $25,000 online to build a 13-foot statue of her…" 
• From Beirut to Hong Kong, the face of the Joker is appearing in demonstrations (France 24) — "…Days after the global cinema release of the film 'Joker', the distinctive face of the titular comic-book villain began appearing in political demonstrations all over the world... From Chile to Lebanon, via Hong Kong and Iraq... It's still an underground phenomenon, but does this represent a new form of protest like the wearing of the 'V for Vendetta' mask?... " 
• Book: "Locked On!: The Seventh and Most Illegal in the Hitch-hiker's Guide Trilogy" By Marty Branagan — "Ever wondered what it's like to feel so strongly about an issue that you'll go to jail for it? This novel, based on real-life environmental blockades but set within a humorous sci-fi universe, is a journey to the centre of nonviolent civil disobedience by an author who has been there repeatedly over decades. In a hilarious romp through the universe we meet eco-pirates, space heroines, Indigenous people and farmers united against corporate greed, corrupt governments and environmental destruction…"