You Gotta Work the Culture If You Wanna Change the Politics

I was at the Sundance Resort in Utah recently, attending the annual Creative Change retreat that the Opportunity Agenda hosts for people working at the intersection of arts and social justice. Lots of interesting discussions took place about the purpose of art, the differences/similarities in artistic process and political process, and what makes good/effective political art—or if there is even such a category.

I’m going to highlight some of the very cool projects and people I met. But before I do, I’ll just name one lesson from these discussions for organizers and advocates: People like me, who have been trained in the linear world of policy change, tend to have a very transactional view of art and culture in relation to their work, although they may be perfectly capable of appreciating art for its own sake in other contexts. Politicos consider artistic projects valuable if they increase pressure on a targeted decision maker, generate press for a campaign or attract celebrities to the cause. These are tactical benefits. There’s nothing wrong with any of these goals, but they don’t fill the gap between what people believe and the policies we want to push. Every political strategy needs a corresponding cultural strategy.