U.S. Artists & Scholars Protection Network

Established in 2020 by Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and co-led with the Scholars at Risk Program at Harvard University, the U.S. Artists and Scholars Protection Network brings together organizations and institutions dedicated to supporting artists, scholars, cultural rights defenders, and human rights defenders at risk. Originally created to coordinate assistance for international artists seeking safety in the United States, the Network facilitates collaboration, information-sharing, and collective responses to threats to artistic freedom in the U.S. and abroad.

Meeting every two months, members exchange information on emerging threats, share resources and expertise, address challenges in supporting at-risk artists and scholars, and identify opportunities for collective action. Recent political and cultural shifts in the United States have prompted the Network to expand its focus to address the growing needs of U.S.-based artists facing censorship, harassment, discrimination, and threats to their safety and livelihoods.

To respond to these challenges, ARC is strengthening the Network’s cross-sectoral approach, bringing together organizations working across artistic freedom, human rights, legal assistance, emergency support, and artist well-being. The recent addition of Tamizdat and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) reflects this evolution, broadening the Network’s expertise and capacity to respond to threats facing artists within the United States. This approach seeks to build a more holistic protective ecosystem that addresses not only censorship, but also artists’ safety, well-being, and long-term sustainability.

Through the Network, ARC plays a catalytic role in convening diverse actors, identifying gaps in existing protection systems, and fostering coordinated responses. By connecting expertise, resources, and organizations across sectors, ARC works to ensure that artists at risk are not supported in isolation but benefit from a stronger, more connected field of protection.