What we do
ARC – Artists at Risk Connection 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.
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.
Senegal
Didier Awadi
Afghanistan
Zahra Abrahimi
Vietnam
Mai Khoi
Chad
Taigué Ahmed
Hong Kong
Franki C.
Nigeria
DJ Switch
Where we work
We support artists wherever they face danger or repression, working with more than 400 local and international partner organizations 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
INSTAGRAM FEED
A seminar, a screen full of faces, and a pen in motion. ✏️
During a recent professional development session, Cuban fellow María Esther Lemus Cordero (@maryestherlemus) sketched in real time, capturing her fellow artists who showed up and the ideas being shared.
A simple gesture that says a great deal about attention, care, and community 🤝
Featuring session speaker Ya Yun Teng (@theofficialcloud_yayun) from New York Foundation for the Arts.
Explore more of María Esther through the link in bio.
#ArtistCommunity #CreativeProcess #ArtInProgress #CubanArtists #MigrantArtists #ArtistSupport #CreativeExchange #SketchbookMoments #ArtAndConnection #CMARF
A seminar, a screen full of faces, and a pen in motion. ✏️
During a recent professional development session, Cuban fellow María Esther Lemus Cordero (@maryestherlemus) sketched in real time, capturing her fellow artists who showed up and the ideas being shared.
A simple gesture that says a great deal about attention, care, and community 🤝
Featuring session speaker Ya Yun Teng (@theofficialcloud_yayun) from New York Foundation for the Arts.
Explore more of María Esther through the link in bio.
#ArtistCommunity #CreativeProcess #ArtInProgress #CubanArtists #MigrantArtists #ArtistSupport #CreativeExchange #SketchbookMoments #ArtAndConnection #CMARF
How do we confront the afterlives of extraction?
As part of PEN America’s World Voices Festival (@penworldvoices), ARC hosts a conversation about power, memory, and how we decide where and to whom cultural memory belongs.
From human remains to cultural artifacts to iconic works of art.
Featuring curator and ethicist Meghan Bill, director, playwright, and scholar Madeline Sayet & Peruvian poet, writer and chronicler Gabriela Wiener, moderated by ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault.
In a moment where cultural narratives are contested and creators face growing pressure, spaces like this matter.
🎟️ Tickets are limited. Join us in New York before it sells out, check out the link in our bio.
For 50% off tickets, use promo code - ARCWVF26
This event is also part of Fall of Freedom national May Day Action.
#FallOfFreedom #WorldVoicesFestival #ArtAndPower #CulturalMemory #CreativeFreedom
How do we confront the afterlives of extraction?
As part of PEN America’s World Voices Festival (@penworldvoices), ARC hosts a conversation about power, memory, and how we decide where and to whom cultural memory belongs.
From human remains to cultural artifacts to iconic works of art.
Featuring curator and ethicist Meghan Bill, director, playwright, and scholar Madeline Sayet & Peruvian poet, writer and chronicler Gabriela Wiener, moderated by ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault.
In a moment where cultural narratives are contested and creators face growing pressure, spaces like this matter.
🎟️ Tickets are limited. Join us in New York before it sells out, check out the link in our bio.
For 50% off tickets, use promo code - ARCWVF26
This event is also part of Fall of Freedom national May Day Action.
#FallOfFreedom #WorldVoicesFestival #ArtAndPower #CulturalMemory #CreativeFreedom
James Broadnax is set to be executed on April 30 for a crime he didn’t commit.
His poetry was used against him in court.
Art is not a crime.
We cannot let this move forward.
Take action:
Sign the petition. Contact Texas Governor, Greg Abbott (@governorabbott). Share this.
Record your own video. Say his name.
#SaveJames
Tag + follow @justiceforjamesbroadnax
#NationalPoetryMonth #ArtIsNotACrime #TexasJustice #PoetryForJustice #HumanRights
James Broadnax is set to be executed on April 30 for a crime he didn’t commit.
His poetry was used against him in court.
Art is not a crime.
We cannot let this move forward.
Take action:
Sign the petition. Contact Texas Governor, Greg Abbott (@governorabbott). Share this.
Record your own video. Say his name.
#SaveJames
Tag + follow @justiceforjamesbroadnax
#NationalPoetryMonth #ArtIsNotACrime #TexasJustice #PoetryForJustice #HumanRights
James Broadnax is a poet, mentor, and artist. He is also scheduled to be executed in Texas on April 30 for a crime he did not commit.
This National Poetry Month, we are honored to share James reading his poem, Cloud View, recorded while incarcerated.
His words remind us of what is at stake. Art is an expression of humanity. It should never be used as evidence to silence, condemn, or execute.
Sign the petition at jamesbroadnax.org. Follow and tag @justiceforjamesbroadnax. Share your own video using #SaveJames.
#SaveJames #NationalPoetryMonth
#BlackArtists #ArtIsNotACrime #PoetryForJustice #EndTheDeathPenalty #PoetryMonth #ArtistsForJustice
James Broadnax is a poet, mentor, and artist. He is also scheduled to be executed in Texas on April 30 for a crime he did not commit.
This National Poetry Month, we are honored to share James reading his poem, Cloud View, recorded while incarcerated.
His words remind us of what is at stake. Art is an expression of humanity. It should never be used as evidence to silence, condemn, or execute.
Sign the petition at jamesbroadnax.org. Follow and tag @justiceforjamesbroadnax. Share your own video using #SaveJames.
#SaveJames #NationalPoetryMonth
#BlackArtists #ArtIsNotACrime #PoetryForJustice #EndTheDeathPenalty #PoetryMonth #ArtistsForJustice
Art is not neutral.
And it’s definitely not meant to be silenced.
Censorship in the arts is rising and artists are pushing back.
ARC is amplifying the UNDOXX Artist Hub in New York as part of our Artist Resilience Toolkit, creating space for artists to speak openly, build solidarity, and find one another in a moment that demands it ✊
Expect honest conversation, shared strategies, and real connection with artists who refuse to be quiet
Free and open to all 🆓
Wednesday, April 29
Brooklyn, NY
Find your people. Build what comes next.
Check out @_undoxx_ to register & for more details.
#ArtsCensorship #BrooklynArtists #ArtistResilience #CommunityBuilding #BrooklynArts #ArtistsSupportingArtists #CensorshipAwareness
@nyculture @ncacensorship @dontdelete.art @1acommittee @ihrartmovement @nyfacurrent
Art is not neutral.
And it’s definitely not meant to be silenced.
Censorship in the arts is rising and artists are pushing back.
ARC is amplifying the UNDOXX Artist Hub in New York as part of our Artist Resilience Toolkit, creating space for artists to speak openly, build solidarity, and find one another in a moment that demands it ✊
Expect honest conversation, shared strategies, and real connection with artists who refuse to be quiet
Free and open to all 🆓
Wednesday, April 29
Brooklyn, NY
Find your people. Build what comes next.
Check out @_undoxx_ to register & for more details.
#ArtsCensorship #BrooklynArtists #ArtistResilience #CommunityBuilding #BrooklynArts #ArtistsSupportingArtists #CensorshipAwareness
@nyculture @ncacensorship @dontdelete.art @1acommittee @ihrartmovement @nyfacurrent
🇲🇰 All the way to Skopje
On 29–30 April 2026, On the Move’s FREE Cultural (@otm.network) Mobility Forum brings together artists, cultural professionals, funders, and policymakers to explore cultural mobility justice.
Who gets to move, create, and participate freely in today’s cultural landscape?
From visa barriers to systemic inequities, this year’s Forum looks at the structures shaping global exchange, with a focus on Southeast Europe and urgent global challenges.
Through keynotes, panels, peer exchange, and cultural visits, the Forum creates space to question and reimagine mobility.
📍 Skopje, North Macedonia
📅 29–30 April 2026
Attendance is FREE, but registration is required by 24 April. Don`t miss out on this opportunity!
Register now via the link in @otm.network’s bio.
#CulturalMobility #CreativeFreedom #ArtForChange #SkopjeEvents #CulturalMobility #ArtistMobility
🇲🇰 All the way to Skopje
On 29–30 April 2026, On the Move’s FREE Cultural (@otm.network) Mobility Forum brings together artists, cultural professionals, funders, and policymakers to explore cultural mobility justice.
Who gets to move, create, and participate freely in today’s cultural landscape?
From visa barriers to systemic inequities, this year’s Forum looks at the structures shaping global exchange, with a focus on Southeast Europe and urgent global challenges.
Through keynotes, panels, peer exchange, and cultural visits, the Forum creates space to question and reimagine mobility.
📍 Skopje, North Macedonia
📅 29–30 April 2026
Attendance is FREE, but registration is required by 24 April. Don`t miss out on this opportunity!
Register now via the link in @otm.network’s bio.
#CulturalMobility #CreativeFreedom #ArtForChange #SkopjeEvents #CulturalMobility #ArtistMobility
Didier Awadi (@awadimusic) didn’t set out to make protest music.
What began as making music with friends became something more. A voice, a responsibility, and eventually, a movement. From rapping in Wolof to connect with his community, to mobilizing young voters during Senegal’s historic 2000 election, his work shows how music can shape not just culture, but history.
Today, his message still resonates. He speaks on sovereignty, democracy, and the power of people to define their own future.
“When you have a microphone… you have a duty to act.”
Read more about his story at the link in our bio.
#WolofRap #ArtistSpotlight #PoliticalRap #SenegalCulture #MusicAndActivism #HipHopForChange #AfricanArtists #SenegalMusic #AfricanHipHop #DidierAwadi
Didier Awadi (@awadimusic) didn’t set out to make protest music.
What began as making music with friends became something more. A voice, a responsibility, and eventually, a movement. From rapping in Wolof to connect with his community, to mobilizing young voters during Senegal’s historic 2000 election, his work shows how music can shape not just culture, but history.
Today, his message still resonates. He speaks on sovereignty, democracy, and the power of people to define their own future.
“When you have a microphone… you have a duty to act.”
Read more about his story at the link in our bio.
#WolofRap #ArtistSpotlight #PoliticalRap #SenegalCulture #MusicAndActivism #HipHopForChange #AfricanArtists #SenegalMusic #AfricanHipHop #DidierAwadi
Artist Opportunity: Transitional Justice with Artists Grant
Artists play a critical role in how societies remember, process, and respond to injustice.
The Transitional Justice with Artists Grant supports cultural practitioners working at the intersection of art, memory, and human rights — offering funding, a residency in Amsterdam, and access to an international network.
Who it’s for:
Artists, cultural practitioners, and initiatives based in Europe (including EU & Creative Europe countries)
Working on justice, accountability, memory, and community healing
What it offers:
• €10,000 grant
• 6-month fellowship
• Residency in Amsterdam
• Publishing opportunity + international network
Deadline: May 2, 2026
⚠️ Applications are capped at 500, current count 107 — early submission is strongly encouraged
This opportunity reflects a growing recognition that artistic practice is essential to truth-telling, repair, and collective healing — especially in contexts shaped by conflict, repression, or systemic injustice.
Learn more & apply in the link in @afieldfellowship`s bio.
Run by @afieldfellowship, @arts_of_the_working_class, @framerframed
#ArtistOpportunities #CreativeFreedom #ArtForChange #OpenCall #SupportArtists #ArtistResilienceToolkit
Artist Opportunity: Transitional Justice with Artists Grant
Artists play a critical role in how societies remember, process, and respond to injustice.
The Transitional Justice with Artists Grant supports cultural practitioners working at the intersection of art, memory, and human rights — offering funding, a residency in Amsterdam, and access to an international network.
Who it’s for:
Artists, cultural practitioners, and initiatives based in Europe (including EU & Creative Europe countries)
Working on justice, accountability, memory, and community healing
What it offers:
• €10,000 grant
• 6-month fellowship
• Residency in Amsterdam
• Publishing opportunity + international network
Deadline: May 2, 2026
⚠️ Applications are capped at 500, current count 107 — early submission is strongly encouraged
This opportunity reflects a growing recognition that artistic practice is essential to truth-telling, repair, and collective healing — especially in contexts shaped by conflict, repression, or systemic injustice.
Learn more & apply in the link in @afieldfellowship`s bio.
Run by @afieldfellowship, @arts_of_the_working_class, @framerframed
#ArtistOpportunities #CreativeFreedom #ArtForChange #OpenCall #SupportArtists #ArtistResilienceToolkit
Want to see more?
Follow us on socials
Want to support artists at risk?
We rely on your donations.
Subscribe to ARC’s newsletter
Subscribe to ARC’s quarterly newsletter and e-blasts for the lastest updates on artistic freedom.