My 2018 Resources for Social Practice Artists

Opportunities and resources: we all need them.

Perhaps you are a high school student looking to go the direction of socially engaged art. Perhaps you are an artist early in your professional career. Or maybe you have been doing this work for decades and could teach us all a thing or two.

No matter your background, you may find this following list of interest. You will note that I work in social practice and community-engaged dance, with a focus in intercultural, inter-group and international projects. This resources list is skewed in those directions. My practice is an acknowledged departure from teaching artistry in both the fields of arts integration and community-based arts. I also do not consider my practice dance therapy and do not offer resources in those areas, but what I do offer here will hopefully be helpful to some of you out there.

It is a hearty but not completely comprehensive list so please feel free to add additional links and resources in the reply section below.  I will offer resources in the following categories:

  • Undergraduate Programs
  • Graduate Degree, Professional and Certificate Programs
  • Fellowships, Jobs/Internships, Volunteer Opportunities and Residencies
  • Groups, Initiatives and Organizations
  • Readings, Videos, Webinars and MOOCs

 

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Socially Engaged Art at Goddard (low residency)

Performing Arts & Social Justice with a Dance Concentration at University of San Fransisco

Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation (CAST) interdisciplinary minor at Brandeis University

Community Arts BFA Major at California College of the Arts

Minor in Social Practice and Public Forms at California College of the Arts

Contextual Practice BFA Major at Carnegie Mellon University

 

Graduate Degree, Professional and Certificate Programs

Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Community Arts at Lesley University

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Teaching Artistry at Wayne State University (3 years, part-time, low-residency)

Educational Doctorate (EDd) in Equity Studies in Education at Simon Fraser University (Canada)

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Art, Education, and Community Practice at NYU Steinhart

Master of Fine Arts (M.FM.A., M.F.A., and Ph.D. in Performance as Public Practice or M.F.A. in Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities at The University of Texas at Austin

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Contemporary Art Practices (Art + Social Practice) at Portland State University

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Socially Engaged Art at NCAD in Dublin, Ireland

Socially Engaged Practice in Design and the Arts (Certificate) at Arizona State University

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Socially Engaged Art at University of Indianapolis

Performance Art and Social Practice continuing education course at Seattle Central College

 

Conferences, Institutes and Labs

Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Arts in Society

Social Emotional Arts (SEA) Certificate at UCLA

The Dance + Social Justice Conference

Dance Exchange Summer Institute

The Institute for Somatics and Social Justice

Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI)

Luna Dance Summer Institute

Social Practice Lab at Duke University’s Rubenstein Arts Center

Urban Bush Women’s Summer Leadership Institute

 

Fellowships, Jobs/Internships, Apprenticeship and Volunteer Opportunities and Residencies

Exchange Programs: The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs offers a number of fully-funded international programs. Many of these opportunities are posted with little notice so check regularly.

(SPAN) Social Practice Artist Network

Common Field

Daniels Spectrum Artist-in-Residency for community-engaged professional artists

A Blade of Grass Fellowship for Socially Engaged Art

Imagining America Page Fellowship for graduate students

Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) volunteer opportunities

On-the-Move cultural mobility network’s list of residencies and other opportunities, many of which are in Europe

Idealist volunteer opportunities and job postings

BCorps Jobs Board openings at certified B Corps, companies that meet rigorous social and environmental standards 

Creative Time jobs, internships, fellowships, and volunteer opportunities

Peace and Collaborative Development Network’s PCDNETWORK professional opportunities (jobs, fellowships, internships, etc. in social change, which also provides the following links for job seekers.

  • UNJOBLIST jobs at UN agencies and other Intergovernmental Organizations
  • RELIEFWEB jobs in International non-profits 
  • Rework jobs in impact with companies working on social and cultural innovation
  • International Organization Careers Website employment opportunities in International Organizations (site sponsored by the US Department of State)
  • SKOLL WORLD FORUM JOB LIST– Job and Fellowship postings related to social entreprenuership, the social sector and corporate social responsibility.
  • The Posner Center for International Development Job Board – Is a coworking space based in Denver, Colorado with over 60 member organizations. Their job board lists openings at Posner and the center’s members.
  • Mission Investing Job Bank – shares career opportunities in mission investing at member foundations, affiliate member organizations and other organizations
  • Social Enterprise Alliance Job Board – Positions in the social enterprise sector.
  • Social Impact Jobs – List from Echoing Green, one of the leading orgs in the field.
  • OpenGov Hub Member Jobs – Job opportunities from organizations based at the OpenGov Hub in Washington, DC.
  • Be Social Change Jobs – Maintains a job board of positions and internships in key social change orgs.
  • Open Gov Jobs – Positions related to open government.
  • Impact Design Hub Jobs – Jobs at the intersection of public interest, social impact, humanitarian, and community design.
  • Jobscsr.com – positions worldwide in the following sectors Social, Environment, Economic, Health & Safety, Climate Change, Human Rights, Finance.
  • Give to get Jobs – Opportunities in the for profit sector that are involved in social change.
  • ICT4D Jobs – Opportunities in information and communication technology for development.
  • Young Professionals in Foreign Policy Job Board – Careers in international Affairs, largely NY and DC based positions.
  • Zebra Jobs – A leading online portal for jobs in Africa, many focused on development related issues.
  • JOBS FOR CHANGE – Useful resources and guides to careers in social change.
  • FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION – Listing of Jobs at Key US nonprofits involved in international affairs.
  • JUSTMEANS – Jobs in Social Change and Environment.
  • FOREIGN AFFAIRS – Listing of jobs in International Affairs.
  • DEVNETJOBS – Listing of Many Positions in International Development and related fields.
  • Next City Jobs– Jobs focused on urban issues and innovation.
  • Jobs for Change – Wonderful resources on nonprofit jobs.
  • OneWorld Jobs – brings the latest jobs and volunteer positions from organisations working to create a better world.

Artslink international grants and fellowships

Mladi Info with lists of scholarships, fellowships, conferences etc. mostly in Europe.

Alliance of Artists Communities case study residencies in social practice.

Surdna Foundation grants for artists engaging in social change 

U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program (for artists, faculty, researchers or staff) Deadline is August 1, 2018 – This is the program I did. Let me know if you have questions or want my help reviewing your application!

U.S. Fulbright Student Program (for current masters and PhD students, recent grads, and young professionals in the arts and other fields) Deadline is October 9, 2018.

Baba Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer Fellowship travel to Africa

Charles B. Rangel Fellowship offers both a graduate fellowship and summer enrichment program

American Music Abroad international tour opportunities for students, adults and ensembles

Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship graduate study in any academic field relevant to the work of the Foreign Service 

Institute for Current World Affairs international fellowship for applicants under 36 years of age

Donald Payne Fellowship for graduate students

Diplomacy & Diversity Fellowship for graduate students and young professionals

UNAOC International Fellowship Open to participants between 25 to 35 years old, from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and North America, with a strong interest in intercultural exchanges. The theme of the Fellowship 2018 being “Fostering youth resilience to prevent violent extremism and build sustainable peace.”Apply by April 8, 2018 for this year’s program.

 

Groups, Initiatives and Organizations

MindLeaps

The International Centre of Art for Social Change

ASC! (Art for Social Change) 

Battery Dance – Dancing to Connect

DanceMotion USA

Dancing on the Edge

Move This World

 

Do-It-Yourself

Design your own volunteer or apprenticeship opportunities at your local children’s hospital, veterans’ affairs group, refugee center, homeless shelter, juvenile detention facility, or public or private religious school (insular or divided communities).

 

Readings, Webinars and MOOCs

Performing Revolutionary: Art, Action, Activism by Nicole Garneau and Anne Cushwa

The Oxford Handbook of Dance and Politics

Americans for the Arts Social Change

“How art creates social change in 5 TED Talks” b

“Bringing the Arts to the Conversation on Social Change” by Claudia Juech and Carolina García Jayaram

Robert Battle: On dance and social justice

Animating Democracy’s “Dance and Civic Engagement”

“The Scales of Socially Engaged Practice” by Hannah Hull

“What is Social Practice, Socially Engaged Art, and Civic Practice?” b

UNESCO’s Centre for Arts Research in Education, forum on dance and social justice with Bharata Natyam artist Kavitha Krishnan

“20 Change-Making US Artists You Should Track During 2018” by Shawn Lent

“30 International Artists You Should Track During 2018” by Shawn Lent

“Who Are the Key Figures in Socially Engaged Art Today?” by Patina Lee

Social Justice Funders webinar by Americans for the Arts

Bibliography listings and Glossary for the Duke MOOC on Public Art

Americans for the Arts’ On-Demand Webinars including Arts Deployed and Current Trends in Public Art & Social Practice

Creative Capital: Values-Based Goal Setting

4 Questions for Artists Working in Social Justice

On Social Practice and Performance by Andy Horwitz

Free Body Project

Who Gets to Perform? The Ethics and Aesthetics of Social Practice by Simon Dove

Arts-based Conflict Resolution, an interview with Michelle le Baron

Acting Together documentary and toolkit (peacebuilding and theatre)

Dancing to Connect’s Cultural Diplomacy Toolkit

Imagining America publications, case studies, research, blog and Public journal

Dancer Citizen online scholarly journal

ASC! (Art for Social Change) resource articles and publications.

50 Titles, 50 Perspectives: A Reader’s Guide to Art + Social Practice by Broken City Lab

Dance, Human Rights, and Social Justice: Dignity in Motion by Naomi Jackson

Movement as Cultural Diplomacy at Battery Dance

Arts in the Public Interest Archives

Outside the Citadel, Social Practice Art Is Intended to Nurture by Randy Kennedy

How the Art of Social Practice is Changing the World, One Row House at a Time by Carolina A. Miranda

Alliance of Artists Communities resource list

Free PDF Books on Race, Gender, Sexuality, Class and Culture

Education is Performance Art

Am I a Dancer Who Gave Up? by Shawn Lent (Huffington Post)

 

Photo: “The promise of Spring” Johannesburg, South Africa, by Unsplash contributor, Zelda Gardner @enskye

 

1 Comment

  1. Awesome Memento

    Thank You So Much Shawn

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