Transforming Culture/Creating Justice

Monday, October 13, 3:15pm – 4:45pm

Organized by F. Javier Torres, Director of National Grantmaking, ArtPlace America.

Presented by Ben Hires, Director of Programs, Boston Children’s Chorus; Charlayne Murrell-Smith, Vice President, External Relations & Corporate Development, Boston Children’s Museum; and Maanav Thakore, Senior Associate, Interaction Institute for Social Change.

In Boston, a network of arts & cultural organizations is experimenting along the intersections of cultural and structural transformation, exploring the questions: How do we create and promote new cultural narratives that create openings for the shifting of institutional arrangements and, ultimately, justice? What is the relationship between cultural change and policy change? What kind of leadership is required — who must we be — in order to make these changes real? You will hear a summary of learnings from members of this network, including staff from Interaction Institute for Social Change, The Boston Foundation, and artist/activist participants. We will showcase some of the art and collaborative experiments that this project has generated. You will leave with a set of possible next steps for your own practice.

• Catalyzing Networks for Social Change, A Funder’s Guide
• Creating Culture: Promising Practices of Successful Movement Networks