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Artwork for ART IS CHANGE: Strategies & Skills for Activist Artists & Cultural Organizers

ART IS CHANGE: Strategies & Skills for Activist Artists & Cultural Organizers

Bill Cleveland
Art
Democracy
Social Justice
Social Change
Community Engagement
Storytelling
Imagination
Creativity
Breaking Ice
Authoritarianism
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Prison System
Morals and Ethics
Public Art
Bighart
Animating Democracy
Activism
National Endowment For the Arts
Community
Community Arts

Can your art help dismantle injustice, shift systems, or spark healing in places like homeless shelters, emergency rooms, or city planning meetings? If you’re passionate about making a real difference through creativity, ART IS CHANGE (formerly known as Change the Story / Change the World) is your front-row seat to the real-world impact of art and social change. Hosted by author, musician, and res... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes175Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureArts

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for ART IS CHANGE: Strategies & Skills for Activist Artists & Cultural Organizers

Latest Episodes

Active citizenship isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a life path that can be cultivated from a young age.

That’s exactly what Ann Cleveland, a Waldorf educator, dives into with us. In our conversation she takes a deep look at how arts-infused education tr... more

ART IS CHANGE – Art is Resistance

What happens when freedom of expression is under pressure? When speech narrows, fear rises, and the future feels smaller than it should?

In this episode, we explore how activist artists and cultural organizers have... more

What use is art making

when freedom is under pressure?

From the Center for the Study of Art and Community? This is Art is Change, a chronicle of art and social change where activist artists and cultural organizers share the strategies and skills th... more

What does it actually take to build

a democracy the people own?

The Artist Proof story takes us to Johannesburg, where a print studio becomes a living laboratory for a new society. We also hear about:

• A court built as art, where law and lived... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Ann Cleveland
Waldorf teacher, musician, movement educator
Waldorf School
Episode: 174: Anne Cleveland - How Arts-infused Education Supports Democracy
Jordan Seaberry
Painter, organizer, educator and leader at USDAC; uses art as a civic practice
US Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC)
Episode: 172: Jordan Seaberry - What Use is Art Making When Freedom is Under Pressure?
Nathay Semelon
Artist proof studio representative
Artist Proof Studio
Episode: 171: Artist Proof Studio - What Can We Learn From Activist Artists in South Africa
Drujon Brink
Artist from Johannesburg area
Episode: 171: Artist Proof Studio - What Can We Learn From Activist Artists in South Africa
Matthew Schwarzman
Community-based arts organizer, educator and theater maker
New Orleans-based artist and organizer
Episode: 170: Is Community Based-art Making at the Heart of Cultural Democracy?
Joni Doherty
Senior Program Officer for Democracy in the Arts at the Kettering Foundation
Charles F. Kettering Foundation
Episode: 169: Joni Doherty: ART IN ACTION Is Fueling Free Expression & Democracy
Kim Snyder
Film director discussing book bans and civic engagement
PBS
Episode: 168: Arts Freedom Weather Report - The MAGA Squeeze Is Provoking Creative Resistance
Mark Bamuthi Joseph
Renowned artist and cultural figure
Kennedy Center
Episode: 168: Arts Freedom Weather Report - The MAGA Squeeze Is Provoking Creative Resistance
Cameron Collins
Festival promoter involved in Punk in the Park controversy
Brujaha Productions
Episode: 168: Arts Freedom Weather Report - The MAGA Squeeze Is Provoking Creative Resistance

Host

Bill Cleveland
Host of ART IS CHANGE; author, musician, and researcher focused on activist art, social change, and community resilience.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 27 ratings
  • Thoughtful and insightful and timely

    Podchaser
    5
    etedtaylor28
    a month ago
  • A resounding yes!

    When I was in my 20s I used to read this magazine called Yes! as an antidote to all the bad news that was “The News. “ Art is Change is another antidote in a time it’s especially needed…full of inspiration, hope, courage and pragmatism!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sofia114
    United States10 months ago
  • Art is Change!

    This podcast is inspiring and useful. A rare and great combo.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LoomerPas
    United Statesa year ago
  • What a gem, what a resource!

    Wholehearted thank you to Mr. Cleveland for this archive of transformative practices.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    qqqqqqqzzzzzzzzeee
    United Statesa year ago
  • These are conversations that connect human creativity to community building, healing, and change. So many different takes on that proposition. So much to learn. And really entertaining too.

    Podchaser
    5
    wtc756110724
    3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the practical, hopeful approach to tough topics.
These insights feel like real-world playbooks for activists and artists alike.
Guests are described as generous with experience and actionable guidance.
The show is viewed as a valuable archive of transformative practices in art and activism.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

172: Jordan Seaberry - What Use is Art Making When Freedom is Under Pressure?
Q: Could you talk a little about where that impulse to serve came from and how it rose up?
The impulse felt like a force of nature composed of events, spaces, and mentors; a childhood exposure to community needs, a shift from art to political organizing, and mentors who broadened his perspective helped him see that service and art could be braided together.
163: Arts Freedom Weather Report: MINNEAPOLIS JAN. 2026
Q: So do you feel like in this moment where the folks in Washington seem to be putting everybody in the same basket, that it's a lesson for folks who have never been in this basket before?
I would say yes, but it's about power. It's about keeping the status quo.
163: Arts Freedom Weather Report: MINNEAPOLIS JAN. 2026
Q: Marquis, if you're willing, just to share what your experience is over these past few months that Minneapolis has been invaded and how it's affected you and your work and the people that you work with.
It's been a little hectic. I live in between where George Floyd got murdered and where Renee got killed.
159 What Can We Learn From Activist Artists in Australia: PART 2
Q: How are you approaching something of this scale?
It's about recalibrating our approach and being open to the lessons learned over time, through community engagement and understanding.
159 What Can We Learn From Activist Artists in Australia: PART 2
Q: Could you say something about what it takes to make work that is both focused and rigorous and so highly adaptive to changing conditions?
It requires careful listening and an understanding of the community context, taking a long-term view rather than working with set deadlines.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers activist artists and cultural organizers who apply creative practice to social change, community healing, and democratic resilience. Episodes frequently explore how art can document injustice, build cross-sector partnerships, and intervene in systems—ranging from libraries and museums to healthcare and public policy. Guests often bring lived experience from arts organizations, social justice work, or academic research, offering practical strategies, field guides, and real-world case studies for sustaining impact in challenging political climates. A notable strength is its ability to translate theory into actionable tactics—for activists, funders, and practitioners seeking tangible community outcomes—while highlighting coll... more

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1. How to Survive the End of the World
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. Letters from an American
4. This American Life
5. The Opinions

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this podcast launched 6 years ago and published 175 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Ann Cleveland
2. Jordan Seaberry
3. Nathay Semelon
4. Drujon Brink
5. Matthew Schwarzman
6. Joni Doherty
7. Kim Snyder
8. Mark Bamuthi Joseph

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