Leadership, Courage, and Cultural Policy in Times of Uncertainty

Leadership, Courage, and Cultural Policy in Times of Uncertainty

As cultural institutions and funders navigate heightened political scrutiny, public pressure, and renewed culture wars, leadership in the arts is increasingly shaped by moments of choice. Decisions about funding, governance, and public engagement now carry implications not only for organizations, but for the public commons—the shared civic spaces, narratives, and relationships that make collective life possible.

This 75-minute webinar explores leadership and courage as cultural policy practices, grounded in the realities of today’s civic landscape. Rather than focusing solely on crisis response, the session examines how cultural policy and cultural organizing praxis can help repair trust, strengthen the civic “we,” and support communities navigating forms of civic trauma and disorientation.

The conversation brings together cultural policy thinkers and city-based leaders working in places such as Seattle and Minneapolis, alongside reflections informed by decades of cultural policy research and practice. Participants will explore how leaders make choices under pressure: how risk is shared or shifted, how belonging is expanded or narrowed, and how cultural inquiry can be protected even when cultural expression is contested.

Live captioning will be available in English throughout the webinar. For additional accommodation requests, please contact GIA Senior Program Manager Jaime Sharp (jaime@giarts.org), at least three (3) business days prior to the event.

Speakers

• Roberto Bedoya, Cultural Strategist
• Randy Engstrom, Third Way Creative
• Theresa Sweetland, Forecast Public Art