Offered by: Arlene Goldbard, Chief Policy Wonk
At-a glance: Presentation and interactive learning to navigate the ethical challenges of working in community
Description: As more and more artists get involved in the exciting field of community cultural development, they encounter the unique ethical challenges of participatory arts practice (community arts, social practice, whatever you call it). How is it possible to balance the commitment to a funder or sponsoring organization with commitments to community participants? Is the community artist’s role to channel others’ creativity without intruding, or should the artist’s own aesthetics, values, and priorities be part of the mix? How do you handle censorship, conflict, disruption? Everyone who works in community needs to develop ethical awareness and exercise ethical muscles, but few get that opportunity before conflict arise in the work.
Through this workshop, participants discover their own values and ethical commitments, equipping themselves to anticipate and head off conflicts, and to find mutual, respectful solutions when they do arise. Arlene’s advice is based on decades of experience with practitioners and their real-world challenges.