May 11, 2018 | News,

Announcing ArtsEmerson’s Partnership with ArtsAmplified!

ArtsEmerson is proud to be partnering with the Barr Foundation and to be included as part of its ArtsAmplified initiative, a $30 million, six year effort to amplify the leadership of fifteen Massachusetts arts organizations in changing communities.

President and Trustee of the Barr Foundation, James E. Canales, announced ArtsAmplified earlier this month:

“We have deepened this commitment to the arts out of an abiding belief that artists, arts and creativity are essential to vibrant and engaged communities. This is particularly true in today’s environment, as the pace of change accelerates and as we look to the arts to offer opportunities for expression, to help deepen our understanding and to promote discussion and engagement. Accordingly, by presenting powerful art that speaks to contemporary issues, arts organizations have the capacity to connect people and perspectives—prompting reflection, fueling dialogue and enhancing our communities. As such, ArtsAmplified features a shared commitment to investigating and exploring the confluence of four concepts we consider vital to the future of arts organizations: artistic excellence, relevance, risk taking and civic leadership. Initiative partners will engage in collective, ongoing conversation anchored in these notions, bringing their unique experiences and visions to the investigation.”

At ArtsEmerson, we believe that a thriving world is fueled by empathy and ignited by art. We are dedicated to engaging all communities through stories that reveal and deepen our connection to each other. By cultivating diversity in the art and in the audience, we ignite public conversation around our most vexing societal challenges as a catalyst for overcoming them.

By “putting the world on stage” — with work that emanates from the language of theater, yet pushes the boundaries between theater, dance, music and multimedia arts — we aim to give voice to diverse stories and perspectives not often seen or heard in the traditional mainstream. We invite the rich cultural diversity of our region into our audiences to create an environment where these shared experiences drive opportunities for connection across our differences.

We are wholly dedicated to presenting international work that reflects the narratives of Boston and that our audiences also fully represent the vibrancy of culture and community in our city. The ArtsAmplified initiative shares these same values and their trust in us to carry out this mission is an exceptional partnership. “Given Boston’s history, we want to be part of telling a new story for the city, particularly as it relates to race. We are expanding our programming, looking to hear and listen and engage voices that haven’t always been at the table,” commented David C. Howse, Executive Director and David Dower, Artistic Director of ArtsEmerson.

We are also proud to share this initiative with fourteen other arts organizations: The American Repertory Theater, Celebrity Series of Boston, GrubStreet, Huntington Theatre Company, Institute of Contemporary Art, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Jacob’s Pillow, MASS MoCA, Peabody Essex Museum, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, Silkroad, The Theater Offensive, World Music/CRASHarts and The Yard.

The learn more about ArtsAmplified, feel free to explore all the wonderful content on the Barr Foundation website, as well as our partners’ websites announcing their partnership and the recent article from The Boston Globe.

Thank you for your support and we cannot wait to continue our work and beyond.