October Virtual Coffee Hour
Arts Against Dehumanization invites you to join us as we envision what expressive resistance looks like in this moment!
This October we will continue the practice of inviting members to share creative work during the coffee hour. You are welcome to contribute a song, poem, short selection of prose, visual art, or work created in another expressive format (each contribution should be under 3-5 minutes). We've found that the act of sharing artistic expression naturally prompts open dialogue about re-humanization (what it means to rebuild society's collective conscience), and everyone is encouraged to participate in these unstructured discussions whether or not you choose to share your work. You are also invited to stay afterwards to learn more about how to get involved with our growing network.
Arts Against Dehumanization offers monthly coffee hours as an opportunity to connect with like-minded artists, educators, and organizers who are interested in using creative expression as a tool against political cruelty and social disintegration. These meetings are an opportunity to connect with other cultural workers as we share our projects, ideas, challenges, and successes. We look forward to meeting with regulars and newcomers every month, so please join us on October 15th!
Time (US): 12pm EDT / 11am CDT / 10am MT / 9am PDT
Time (International): We recommend using a time zone converter to find your local time, such as https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html
Link: Will be provided two days before event
Agenda:
Share your creative work: Whether that is a song, poem, short piece of prose, visual art, or something else entirely (each person's share should be under 3-5 minutes).
Open dialogue: How does our creative expression connect to the themes and real-life experiences of dehumanization, authoritarianism, and rehumanization?
Behind the scenes: Everyone is invited to stay after the coffee hour for a 15-minute conversation about getting involved with Arts Against Dehumanization and supporting our future efforts.
About AAD:
Arts Against Dehumanization is an online community of artists, scholars, and creative thinkers committed to operationalizing the arts as a practice that restores, resists, and collectively imagines a more equitable world. We celebrate our humanist practice as a form of voicing our experiences and humanity at a time when authoritarianism and fascism is taking hold in the U.S. and globally. We are in resistance to the dehumanization of everyday power structures that reduce our humanity and collective consciousness into despair. We aim to cultivate an inclusive, equitable, and resilient network online and locally where each member is seen, heard, and celebrated as engaged and valued citizens.
We believe:
Art is a form of knowledge.
Power should be shared rather than concentrated.
Plurality and coexistence are paramount.
Liberation is collective and interconnected.
Humans are part of, rather than separate from, the living world.
Imagination is a resource for social transformation.
We practice:
Collective inquiry and experimentation.
Participatory decision-making.
Holding spaces of inclusivity and care.
Critical reflection and accountability.
Making space for difference, uncertainty, and solidarity.
We resist
Dehumanization.
Colonial and fixed systems of knowledge and power.
Authoritarianism, fascism, and concentrated power.
Extraction and exploitation.
Hierarchies that determine whose lives and knowledge matter.
The reduction of art to commodity, product, or decoration.
FAQS
Do I need to be an artist or academic to join the monthly coffee hour?
Nope! You just need to have an interest in the arts. Our network is open to artists, performers, writers, crafters, makers, activists, organizers, researchers, educators, and anyone else interested in countering authoritarianism, dehumanization, and oppression.
What exactly will happen at this event?
Our meetings usually start with a humane acknowledgment of who is present and missing in these discussions, followed by personal introductions and open conversation about the tools we bring to this work, our current projects and challenges, and our collective vision for the future of this network.
Okay, but is being creative or making art even meaningful in the era of AI?
Yes, now more than ever! Research shows that arts engagement:
-Builds community networks, social capital, and opportunities to share resources
-Can be used to raise awareness, build empathy, and promote direct action
-Supports social, psychological, and physical health
Is Arts Against Dehumanization (AAD) affiliated with any other organizations?
AAD is affiliated with The Anti-Authoritarian Resource Network (TAARN), which was founded by communication scholars, teachers, and professionals as a response to rising authoritarianism and fascism in the United States and globally. You can learn more about the TAARN network at https://taarn.org/.