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Thesis
More Than a Platform: A New Role of Arts and Culture Organizations in Social Justice and Activist Movements
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Dec 2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001450
Abstract
This thesis investigates how arts and culture organizations are incorporating social justice and activism into their organizational structure. As our society becomes more polarized, increased social and economic pressures have caused a shift towards a more robust and active approach to social justice from arts and culture organizations. In pursuit of these goals, arts and culture organizations have sought more intentional, wholistic, and transgressive social justice work, as well as more horizontal approaches to creative, operational, and management structures. This thesis uses exploratory research to examine how arts and culture organizations are going about this work, what their motivations are, and how they view the role of arts and culture organizations in social change work. This research includes interviews of three arts organizations in the Philadelphia area actively pursuing structural approaches to social justice: Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia, Eastern State Penitentiary, and the Environmental Justice Department of Mural Arts Philadelphia. Interviews with administrators at these organizations, as well as additional data collected from websites, financial documents, and publicized writings and interviews, demonstrated common themes among these institutions. All three organizations made significant strategic, programmatic, and operational efforts to better address issues of social justice, activism, and inclusion. Each institution's methods for furthering social change followed some precedent in the field but aligned strategically with the individual organization's mission and history. Actions taken by each organization were led primarily and fervently by institutional leaders. Funding for the organizations focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as criminal justice, were boons and motivators for those organizations, while funding for the Mural Arts Environmental Justice Department proved a continuing challenge. Each organization faced resistance from many stakeholders, but all emphasized resistance from internal, mostly mid-level members and staff. The efforts by all organizations have been slow and methodical processes, involving many research phases and partnerships in order to pursue their goals meaningfully and ethically. Finally, all organizations expressed views that their efforts were not only morally necessary, but imperative for the survival of the organization. The implications of this research suggest that arts and culture organizations are perceiving a heightened need to participate in activism and social justice movements, and using various, mission and history-based methods to meet those needs.
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Details
- Title
- More Than a Platform
- Creators
- Ren Rosenberg
- Contributors
- Pamela Yau (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- viii, 70 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Arts Administration; Arts and Entertainment Enterprise; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 991020041415404721