Programs

Programs

Creative Safe Haven for Activists In Distress

Each year, hundreds of activists are violently assaulted for pursuing their ideas of social change: as community leaders they lose their jobs; face arbitrary imprisonment; and are sometimes killed for speaking truth to power. fD believes that art spaces are a vital part of civil society and are in a unique position to support activists-in-distress while engaging their local communities around key issues.

fD's international network identifies surpluses such as housing and funding and redistributes them to activists. While fD provides administrative support to community art spaces that offer residencies to vulnerable artists and culture workers, the art spaces in turn benefit from enriched community programs, resulting in deeper connections to global movements for social change. And when these activists are supported, they are able not only to survive, but to create new and innovative work that impacts local communities and shifts the world towards justice and equality.

Through its Distress Information Services initiative, fD is working to document and distribute regionally-specific and international resources for vulnerable artists and journalists.

Click here for information on applying for support services.

Capacity-Building for Arts Spaces and Community Organizers

fD has established regional hubs in New York City, São Paulo, Berlin, Cairo and Pondicherry. These offices based within partner centers provide on-the-ground support for local initiatives that link human rights activism to the art world. In addition to providing toolkits and organizing community events, fD works to raise the visibility of these efforts through media outreach and community engagement.

fD seeks to increase the number of self-sustaining community art spaces that can provide resources and residencies to vulnerable culture workers. The Emerging Art Space Support Initiative provides capacity-building support to new art and media centers. Once established, these centers are invited to join fD's international network.

Click here for information on applying to become a formal affiliate of the fD network.

Advocacy & Public Awareness

fD strives to connect local audiences to the work of the network and to promote activism on social issues through the arts. fD works strategically with a range of media partners, and maintains visibility at international art and human rights events such as Art Dubai and World Social Forum.

In response to numerous requests to support socially-engaged art projects from independent artists and programmers, fD now supports select Affiliated Projects. We realize that galleries will not always support social issue art projects and thus independent artists may need practical support such as graphic design assistance, web space, media strategy and fundraising support in order to realize their projects. Additionally, fD engages artists and collectives on thematic campaigns that resonates throughout its programs.