What we do
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) defends and advances the right to artistic freedom, providing practical resources and support to artists and cultural workers, so they can live and work safely, free from fear.
Protect
ARC provides direct assistance to at-risk artists and connects them with an international network of organizations and resources.
Advocate
ARC monitors, documents, and advocates for artists targeted for their creative expression, social justice efforts, or human rights work. ARC defends and promotes artistic freedom around the world.
Amplify
ARC raises awareness about the challenges facing artists and cultural workers, and leads global calls for safeguarding the right to artistic freedom through storytelling, campaigns, publications, podcasts, and events.
Where we work
We work wherever artists face danger or repression, collaborating with local and international partners to ensure that no creative voice is silenced, regardless of geography or circumstances.
Africa
Latin America & The Caribbean
Asia & The Pacific
Middle East & North Africa
Europe
North America
Featured news from ARC
Artist
stories
Stories of at-risk artists from all over the world who are committed to protecting their right to freedom of expression and using their art to fight for justice.
Zimbabwe
Daniel Maposa
Nigeria
DJ Switch
Cuba
Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara
Saudi Arabia
Ms Saffaa
Myanmar, {Burma}
Thiha
United States
Dread Scott
INSTAGRAM FEED
🌷In moments of divisiveness and strife, coming together is not only healing—it’s essential. Through connection, we build hope, invite dialogue, and find unity despite our differences. Most importantly, connection reminds us that we are not alone.
As we enter spring, affronts to artistic freedom, domestically and abroad, are skyrocketing. It is precisely at this cultural inflection point that we most desperately need to come together to reject such attacks and uphold art and culture as the lifeblood of democracy. Creation is the ultimate gathering place of stories, imbuing works with lived experience and collective resilience.
ARC’s most recent newsletter reflects these principles, recounting our efforts in the past months to defend and advance artistic freedom worldwide. From collective actions denouncing repression in the Americas, a series of awareness-raising events across the country, and sharing our expert insights with diverse media outlets, ARC remains steadfast in its mission and ever grateful to the daring artists we have the privilege to support.
📰 Join us in reflecting on the importance of community and the power we hold when we stick together: https://mailchi.mp/artistsatriskconnection/arcspringconnection?e=550f1e145e
Photo Credit: Imitat, Unsplash
🌷In moments of divisiveness and strife, coming together is not only healing—it’s essential. Through connection, we build hope, invite dialogue, and find unity despite our differences. Most importantly, connection reminds us that we are not alone.
As we enter spring, affronts to artistic freedom, domestically and abroad, are skyrocketing. It is precisely at this cultural inflection point that we most desperately need to come together to reject such attacks and uphold art and culture as the lifeblood of democracy. Creation is the ultimate gathering place of stories, imbuing works with lived experience and collective resilience.
ARC’s most recent newsletter reflects these principles, recounting our efforts in the past months to defend and advance artistic freedom worldwide. From collective actions denouncing repression in the Americas, a series of awareness-raising events across the country, and sharing our expert insights with diverse media outlets, ARC remains steadfast in its mission and ever grateful to the daring artists we have the privilege to support.
📰 Join us in reflecting on the importance of community and the power we hold when we stick together: https://mailchi.mp/artistsatriskconnection/arcspringconnection?e=550f1e145e
Photo Credit: Imitat, Unsplash
🇿🇼🎭 “We use theater not just to entertain, but to empower—so that people understand their rights and demand accountability.”
For nearly two decades, Savanna Trust has used the power of performance to challenge oppression and amplify voices across Zimbabwe.
In a new interview with ARC, Dr. Daniel Maposa, South African professor and founder of the Savanna Trust (@savannatrust)—an arts for social change organization that hosts the annual Protest Arts International Festival—discusses navigating censorship, building towards artistic freedom, and how theater can drive democracy.
Read ARC’s full interview: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/daniel-maposa/
🇿🇼🎭 “We use theater not just to entertain, but to empower—so that people understand their rights and demand accountability.”
For nearly two decades, Savanna Trust has used the power of performance to challenge oppression and amplify voices across Zimbabwe.
In a new interview with ARC, Dr. Daniel Maposa, South African professor and founder of the Savanna Trust (@savannatrust)—an arts for social change organization that hosts the annual Protest Arts International Festival—discusses navigating censorship, building towards artistic freedom, and how theater can drive democracy.
Read ARC’s full interview: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/daniel-maposa/
📢ARC in Chron (@chron_com) 📰
ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with Brammhi Balarajan about the increasingly hostile environment for artistic freedom in Texas, following the proposal of Texas bill HB 3958 that, if passed, could fine museums $500,000 for each day the institution displays “obscene” artworks.
The troubling legislation was proposed following the confiscation of artworks and threats of legal prosecution against photographer Sally Mann (@sallymannofficial) and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (@themodernfw). Mann’s photos, displayed in the museum’s “Diaries of Home” exhibition, were confiscated by local authorities for investigation shortly following comments from a county judge and some viewers decrying the photographs, which involved Mann’s children in the nude, as disturbing. In a resounding victory for artistic freedom, a Texas jury decided not to move forward with a case against the museum.
🔹 We’re grateful to journalists spotlighting these issues and amplifying our message.
Read the full article: https://www.chron.com/news/article/texas-museums-obscene-art-20255582.php
#artisticfreedom #artistsatrisk #freeexpression
📢ARC in Chron (@chron_com) 📰
ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with Brammhi Balarajan about the increasingly hostile environment for artistic freedom in Texas, following the proposal of Texas bill HB 3958 that, if passed, could fine museums $500,000 for each day the institution displays “obscene” artworks.
The troubling legislation was proposed following the confiscation of artworks and threats of legal prosecution against photographer Sally Mann (@sallymannofficial) and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (@themodernfw). Mann’s photos, displayed in the museum’s “Diaries of Home” exhibition, were confiscated by local authorities for investigation shortly following comments from a county judge and some viewers decrying the photographs, which involved Mann’s children in the nude, as disturbing. In a resounding victory for artistic freedom, a Texas jury decided not to move forward with a case against the museum.
🔹 We’re grateful to journalists spotlighting these issues and amplifying our message.
Read the full article: https://www.chron.com/news/article/texas-museums-obscene-art-20255582.php
#artisticfreedom #artistsatrisk #freeexpression
We are less than a week away from EXPO CHICAGO (@expochicago), a preeminent contemporary art fair held from 24 – 27 April 2025.
ARC is pleased to participate in the EXPO’s fourth annual Directors Summit, where ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault will give the keynote lecture.
This year, the Summit will examine museums as living organisms, their interdependent parts, and how to support institutional autonomy and reject present threats at a moment of dramatic changes sweeping the arts and culture sector.
To learn more about EXPO Chicago and plan your visit: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/event/arc-keynote-expo-chicago-directors-summit/
We are less than a week away from EXPO CHICAGO (@expochicago), a preeminent contemporary art fair held from 24 – 27 April 2025.
ARC is pleased to participate in the EXPO’s fourth annual Directors Summit, where ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault will give the keynote lecture.
This year, the Summit will examine museums as living organisms, their interdependent parts, and how to support institutional autonomy and reject present threats at a moment of dramatic changes sweeping the arts and culture sector.
To learn more about EXPO Chicago and plan your visit: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/event/arc-keynote-expo-chicago-directors-summit/
📢ARC in Libération 📰
Amid enhanced attacks on artistic freedom in the U.S., ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with Clémentine Mercier (@clemclem_mercier) from Libération (@liberationfr) about the alarming escalation in censorship, political interference, and cultural defunding at the federal, state, and local levels.
From GSA layoffs to the shuttering of DEI initiatives, Trébault underscored these affronts as symptoms of an increasingly repressive climate eroding creative expression and democratic values.
🔹 We’re grateful to journalists spotlighting these issues and amplifying our message.
Read the full article: https://www.liberation.fr/culture/arts/un-climat-de-peur-et-dautocensure-sinstalle-dans-tout-le-milieu-culturel-des-etats-unis-de-donald-trump-20250405_XYYS4GKXUVFO3HR543MT25EWOY/?datawallToken=GFT-af6d469fe581157f084e62cd6aef51eb
#artisticfreedom #artistsatrisk #freeexpression
📢ARC in Libération 📰
Amid enhanced attacks on artistic freedom in the U.S., ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with Clémentine Mercier (@clemclem_mercier) from Libération (@liberationfr) about the alarming escalation in censorship, political interference, and cultural defunding at the federal, state, and local levels.
From GSA layoffs to the shuttering of DEI initiatives, Trébault underscored these affronts as symptoms of an increasingly repressive climate eroding creative expression and democratic values.
🔹 We’re grateful to journalists spotlighting these issues and amplifying our message.
Read the full article: https://www.liberation.fr/culture/arts/un-climat-de-peur-et-dautocensure-sinstalle-dans-tout-le-milieu-culturel-des-etats-unis-de-donald-trump-20250405_XYYS4GKXUVFO3HR543MT25EWOY/?datawallToken=GFT-af6d469fe581157f084e62cd6aef51eb
#artisticfreedom #artistsatrisk #freeexpression
🇰🇪 “Art is more than just a form of expression—it’s a tool to challenge societal norms, raise awareness, and inspire action.”
ARC celebrates daring artists. Today, we spotlight Javan the Poet (@javan_thepoet), a socially engaged musician from Nairobi, Kenya. Javan speaks truth to power, channeling his artistic practice to denounce human rights violations, police brutality, and inequality in his country. “Art can give a voice to the voiceless,” he shared in an interview with ARC, “the diversity of mediums allows us to reach a broader audience and impact people across different walks of life.”
Through his lyrical musings and collaborations with creative collectives in poetry, hip-hop, radio drama, and graffiti scenes, Javan has been on the frontlines of social change in his community. He released the song “UWAGA” in collaboration with other artists, calling out police brutality, and, more recently, supported Sauti Jasiri, an arts advocacy initiative engaging youth that resulted in creative projects denouncing local human rights violations.
Javan’s story is a testament to the power of creativity to empower communities and push for positive change. To read his full artist story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/javan-the-poet/
🇰🇪 “Art is more than just a form of expression—it’s a tool to challenge societal norms, raise awareness, and inspire action.”
ARC celebrates daring artists. Today, we spotlight Javan the Poet (@javan_thepoet), a socially engaged musician from Nairobi, Kenya. Javan speaks truth to power, channeling his artistic practice to denounce human rights violations, police brutality, and inequality in his country. “Art can give a voice to the voiceless,” he shared in an interview with ARC, “the diversity of mediums allows us to reach a broader audience and impact people across different walks of life.”
Through his lyrical musings and collaborations with creative collectives in poetry, hip-hop, radio drama, and graffiti scenes, Javan has been on the frontlines of social change in his community. He released the song “UWAGA” in collaboration with other artists, calling out police brutality, and, more recently, supported Sauti Jasiri, an arts advocacy initiative engaging youth that resulted in creative projects denouncing local human rights violations.
Javan’s story is a testament to the power of creativity to empower communities and push for positive change. To read his full artist story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/javan-the-poet/
🇸🇩 Two Years of War in Sudan
Two years ago to the day, Sudan’s civil war broke out. In that time, millions have been displaced, thousands killed, and a generation of artists silenced or forced into exile.
In solidarity with the Sudanese creative community, ARC uplifts the work of cartoonist Osman Obaid (@osman_obaid), whose drawings shed light on oppression, hold those in power accountable, and serve as a vehicle to attain justice, equality, and peace.
His piece “Don’t Give Up” is a powerful reminder of resilience in the face of unimaginable loss.
Read Osman’s story and see his work here:
🔗 Link in bio or https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/osman-obaid
@khalidalbaih @raniamamoun @culture_resource @actforhope @ettijahat_independent_culture
#Sudan #SudaneseArtists #ArtInExile #StandWithSudan
🇸🇩 Two Years of War in Sudan
Two years ago to the day, Sudan’s civil war broke out. In that time, millions have been displaced, thousands killed, and a generation of artists silenced or forced into exile.
In solidarity with the Sudanese creative community, ARC uplifts the work of cartoonist Osman Obaid (@osman_obaid), whose drawings shed light on oppression, hold those in power accountable, and serve as a vehicle to attain justice, equality, and peace.
His piece “Don’t Give Up” is a powerful reminder of resilience in the face of unimaginable loss.
Read Osman’s story and see his work here:
🔗 Link in bio or https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/osman-obaid
@khalidalbaih @raniamamoun @culture_resource @actforhope @ettijahat_independent_culture
#Sudan #SudaneseArtists #ArtInExile #StandWithSudan
📣 New York-based friends and colleagues—don’t miss out and join ARC on Thursday, 17 April, at 7 PM to celebrate the presentation of Ai Weiwei’s (@aiww) first graphic memoir, “Zodiac.”
The memoir, illustrated by Gianluca Costantini (@channeldraw) and Elettra Stamboulis (@elettrastamboulis), combines Weiwei’s splendid use of folklore and memory with a novel aesthetic language, building a refreshing exploration of the relationship between art, activism, and humanity.
Hosted by Salotto NYC (@salotto.nyc), a cultural research hub run by Italian creative professionals, the free event will feature insights from Costantini and Stamboulis on their creative process in conversation with ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault. We hope to see you there!
For more info and to register: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/event/arc-presentation-ai-weiwei-zodiac-a-graphic-memoir/
📣 New York-based friends and colleagues—don’t miss out and join ARC on Thursday, 17 April, at 7 PM to celebrate the presentation of Ai Weiwei’s (@aiww) first graphic memoir, “Zodiac.”
The memoir, illustrated by Gianluca Costantini (@channeldraw) and Elettra Stamboulis (@elettrastamboulis), combines Weiwei’s splendid use of folklore and memory with a novel aesthetic language, building a refreshing exploration of the relationship between art, activism, and humanity.
Hosted by Salotto NYC (@salotto.nyc), a cultural research hub run by Italian creative professionals, the free event will feature insights from Costantini and Stamboulis on their creative process in conversation with ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault. We hope to see you there!
For more info and to register: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/event/arc-presentation-ai-weiwei-zodiac-a-graphic-memoir/
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